Evacuation
by Ivan Ishara
Summary: [Complete, Fully Revised] Book 1 of the Ivani Chronicles: The quest has already been brought halfway to the point of damnation, The first step to be taken must be backwards, in Evacuation.
1. Dedication and Acknowledgments

Dedication

  
-To Maddie, the one who has always been the world's little angel.

To be acknowledged for their support, inspiration, and comments:  


-Tiffany, for being one of the best driving forces I could ask for  
  
-Marie, for giving me a professional overview when the book had reached its halfway mark  
  
-My Dad, for being so supportive of my writing of feelings and emotions, as well as a novel  
  
-John, for developing a wooden prop sword, which served to help me choreograph many-a-scene  
  
-My Mom, for allowing me to stay up all night typing this, and for her incredible support  
  
-Ms. Leisk, for her great interest in my writing, and for another professional analysis  
  
-Katie-san, for her inspiration on the closer scenes' choreography, and great support  
  
-Lori-san, for her inspiration on female reactions to events, and great support  
  
-Ian, for giving me one of the more in-depth reviews, and one of a friend as well  
  
-All other reviewers, for their assessments and comments along the way  
  
-Greg, for his inspiration on the battle scenes' choreography, and support  
  
-All the other great authors out there of Digimon Fanfiction, for many inspiring passages  
  
And finally,  
  
-You, for reading through some or all of this novel, which makes me happy


	2. Message in a Bottle

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 1- Message in a Bottle  
  
"We're gonna get wrecked; we've gotta get out of here, now!" came Yolei's yell of warning across the battlefield. She, along with the rest of the Digidestined, had been responding to a distress call they received from a village in the Digital World, which was on the verge of entering its spring season. After their hasty transport through dimensions, they found themselves face-to-face with a goliath digimon, if it even was a digimon. It had met them with a fierce attack, "Infernal Cannon," and the group was forced to engage it in combat in the middle of the town. They had now drawn the battle away from the town, to a cliff running alongside it, but were being beaten badly. They now had little choice but to abandon the attack and flee.  
  
"Yeah, Davis, come on; this isn't going anywhere!" TK shouted, hoping to knock some sense into their fearless leader, who always seemed to make decisions without consultation and possessed legendary stubbornness. A moment later, Patamon and Armadillomon rolled to TK's feet, having been blasted out of their DNA form to the rookie level.  
  
"No, I'm not leaving until that big ugly thing is destroyed!" Davis retorted. Blinded by his emotions and the biting wind of the ebbing season, he simply could not see the fact that only greater harm would come from persistence.  
  
"Infernal Cannon!" the mammoth creature yelled as it raised its right arm, releasing a scorching flame with incredible accuracy. Sylphimon broke apart, dropping Salamon and Hawkmon to the ground, utterly exhausted and shivering.  
  
"Fine, then we're leaving without you; we're not risking our skins now that the villagers have been evacuated. Let's go, everyone!" Cody called as he retrieved Armadillomon and ran for the monitor. Yolei and Kari followed suit. Ken and TK decided to drag Davis to the TV, since his obsession with winning was keeping him glued to the spot, as well as putting him in mortal peril.  
  
"Look, with Imperialdramon being the only one, we don't stand a-" Ken was cut off by a tremor inducing blast. "Never mind. Now that they've all been blasted, can we please leave?" Ken pleaded as he retrieved the unconscious Wormmon and Veemon from the ground.  
  
"Fine," Davis receded, "you win. Let's go." He ran back to the screen with Ken and TK following. Cody and Yolei were the first to reach the screen, opening the gate and passing through it, but Kari had run back to grab her camera. It had fallen off in the confusion. TK saw the camera and changed course as Ken and Davis reached the screen and warped through it.  
  
TK reached the camera as he skidded to a stop, snatched it up and bolted at the monitor. Kari again changed course, ending up right beside TK. Unfortunately, their opponent seemed to realize their delay and used this to its advantage. It fired another flame shot, now concentrated into a sphere and targeted at the TV, just as TK and Kari were about to pass through the screen. This caused not only the destruction of their escape route, but hurtled both of them back with incredible force.  
  
TK flew straight into the cliff face, and hearing a horrible crunch as he slammed into the rock wall told him that his legs were all but removed from his body. Across from him, he saw Kari slam into a jutting rock some distance away arm-first. She collapsed into a heap, unconscious. TK, now feeling faint from pain, was only able to keep consciousness long enough to see the gargantuan beast take aim on Kari and fire.

"Kari, Kari, are you there? Wake up, you need to eat."  
  
Kari had little memory of what had occurred; she only remembered making a dash for the TV then seeing fire. She didn't know whish side of the screen she'd been on; whether she was okay or not was a mystery.   
  
Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was fuzzy, but she could tell that it was nighttime and that she was either in some sort of cave or outside. Either way, it wasn't good. She blinked a few times to try and restore her sight, clearing away sleep from her eyes with her hands. The area came into focus.  
  
She was indeed in a cave, and a fairly vast one at that. She couldn't move much, and an incredible pain in her arm told her that she must have been on the wrong side of the screen. Unable to move with the stabbing pain in her arm, she tried to see whatever she could from her seat. She was amazed to see that there were furnishings in the cave, although makeshift. There was a card table and four chairs set up to one side, several torch-like structures were attached to the walls, lit, and a small circle of rocks with a small fire inside it lay near her feet. A crossbar was set up above it, holding what looked like a cauldron. She realized that she wasn't lying on a rock surface, but a softer material. Carefully looking over her right shoulder, she received an explanation: she was on a bed of leaves. "Curious," she thought, taking in the unusual decor. The entire room had an ominous yet sheltering feeling to it, and it was strangely calming. She soon came back to reality, and remembered hearing a voice. Who was it? It sounded familiar.  
  
Her eyes then landed on a silver, humanoid robot. It instantly grabbed her attention. Her mind was racing: "How did I miss that before?""Oh, you're awake; I was hoping you'd come around soon," came a voice from within the metallic creature. It then paused. "I suppose I look rather robotic in this thing, huh?"  
  
"Who're you?" Kari asked, losing her manners in a growing headache. It began as soon as she had awoken, making her current condition all the worse.  
  
"Well, give me a second; let me get this thing off," said the voice. It seemed warm and soothing, making her relax a bit. The robot then released a sudden jet of steam from the joint where the neck met the rest of the machine. The helmet withdrew, sliding backwards until perpendicular to the ground. When the steam cleared, the face of a young-looking teen was revealed.  
  
"TK?" Kari gasped. She was completely mystified. "What's going on? What is that thing? Where'd you get it? How-"  
  
"Whoa, slow down there, Kari," The teen replied. "I'm not TK. He's on the bed next to you." He gestured to Kari's left.  
  
Kari looked to her left, only to see something that nearly reduced her to tears. TK was lying, unconscious, next to her. His head was bandaged, and his legs looked like they had been shattered in several places. They seemed more like jelly than legs. "What happened?" she choked out, horrified by the physical state of her best friend.  
  
"He took a bit of a flight when the blast went off in front of him, just as you did, but he was less fortunate," The person within robotic suit replied nonchalantly. "He went hurtling into the cliff wall, knee-first. Not the best way to fall."  
  
"How can you be so heartless? He's must be dying!" Kari screamed, tears now flooding from her eyes.  
  
"Hey, I'm not being heartless, it's my job to protect the two of you," The teen answered calmly. "Don't worry too much, he won't die. Just wait for Madina. I sent her an urgent signal once I took care of that imposter of a digimon. Those stupid robotic things are death traps for digimon." After a pause, he noticed Kari's quizzical face and added, "Relax. I'll explain everything. Have some of this; it will make you feel better. You haven't eaten all day." He handed her a bowl of red broth-like soup.  
  
"What is this?" Kari asked, examining the liquid from her prone position.  
  
"Requallo Squash Soup; tastes great, almost like tomato – not that I remember tomato soup very well anymore," He mentioned with a nervous laugh.  
  
Kari dared to have a spoonful, and discovered that he was right. It was remarkably like tomato soup, perhaps even better. "Incredible," she said.  
  
"Now then, what would you like me to explain first?" Asked the teen. "We'll have plenty of time, no need to rush."  
  
"Um, who are you, exactly? And what's with the armor?" Kari asked as she continued to slurp her bowl of soup, regaining her initial curiosity.  
  
"Ahhh, a good place to start, as well as very logical," the boy replied. He then turned slightly and mumbled something incoherent to himself. The entire suit burst with light. The armor started to ripple and break, but instead of shattering, it flowed like mercury. It merged into a stream and started to collect at the center of the chest plate, condensing itself down as more of the strange fluid collected. As the last of the substance came to the center, it continued to condense until it was the size of a pea. It then disappeared into an amulet around the boy's neck, which was the only thing visible in the blinding flash of light. As soon as the light transformation had come, it was gone, the whole ordeal lasting barely two seconds. Now standing before her was the same teen-ager, no longer a robot but in full human form.  
  
"Wow," Kari breathed, staring at the person who seemingly appeared out of thin air and replaced the robotic person. He was nearly six feet tall, about a foot shorter than the robot had been. He looked somewhat like TK, and yet was starkly different. Had the same unkempt hair as TK, only slightly darker and of a brownish shade, the same crystal-blue eyes, and the same loving smile. However, his body was very different. Although tall and thin like TK, he appeared to be carrying a great burden. Although he held his square shoulders high, and looked almost regal in his casual clothes, fatigue and age seemed to be pulling at every inch of his frame. One may have thought him to be nearly a full five years older than he really was, his maturity having outrun his age and caused the whole process to speed up.  
  
He was wearing a plain, dark blue T-shirt boasting no logo, cargo pants of a tan shading, black hiking shoes, and a black fleece sweater. The ensemble matched well enough and made him look even more dignified. His clothes looked slightly worn, as though he had been traveling for some time, but were quite clean. One major feature that she noticed was a long, black leather sheath, hanging from his waist with what looked like the hilt of a sword extending from the top.  
  
"What is that?" she asked, though already knowing the answer.  
  
"Oh, yeah, that," he said, snapping back to reality. His gaze had been on the mouth of the cave before. "That would be my sword." No sooner had he said this than the weapon was fully unsheathed, the point in the ground. "I've been training with it for years now, I can move at a speed that many will not be able to see, and can put enough force into it to cleave rocks. It's sharp enough to separate hairs, and sturdy enough to be caught under a falling tree and still be as straight as it is now."  
  
"I see," Kari said, trying to take in the power of the sword. "What do you use it for?"  
  
"The same thing that I use this for," he replied, indicating his amulet.  
  
"What does that-" She never finished her question, for a great wind entered the tunnel and the boy turned expectantly to the entrance of the cave. A moment later, the gale calmed and another robotic suit appeared. This one was red, inlaid with golden highlights, and had feminine features to it."Showing off again, Ivan?" asked the new figure.  
  
"Merely explaining my capabilities," the boy responded sheepishly. "I was showing Kari the Amulet of Ivani."  
  
"Oh, I see," she responded with subtle sarcasm. She looked over at the two people on the ground. "Now what did you signal me f-" She stopped herself. She had noticed TK's legs and Kari's arm as she spoke. "Never mind. I understand."  
  
"Great; this is really your field," The boy responded. "I was hoping you'd be able to help."  
  
"Just let me recall Madina," she said with a sigh. She whispered an unintelligible phrase just as the boy had. With a nearly identical wave of incandescent light, the red body suit withdrew from the figure's body into an amulet. As the light faded, the girl who had seemingly been piloting the machine came into focus.  
  
She was much shorter than the boy, reaching only his shoulder, but Kari could tell that she was still tall and strong in spirit. She had dark auburn hair with subtle, natural blond streaks in it, pulled back into a ponytail. She had bright brown eyes that seemed to glow with life and energy. Her face was beautiful, with every feature set in perfect place. However, she appeared to be affected greatly by the ebb of time, taking on more years than were initially intended for her. She reminded Kari of a friend of hers, but the name was lost in the pain coming from her head. Nonetheless, the same composure remained. Standing tall, she appeared thin and delicate, but Kari guessed that more of her strength came from within; the defiant, passionate look in her eyes confirmed this.  
  
She wore a bright white T-shirt, a pair of faded, dark blue jeans and white tennis shoes. Having no warm outer garments, she was slightly under dressed for the cool temperature in the cave. Attached to her belt was a small red satchel, perhaps big enough for a baseball.  
  
The girl quickly opened the pouch and reached inside as both she and Ivan kneeled down beside Kari's broken right arm. "By the way, I'm Madelyn, but call me Maddie, only my parents ever called me by my real name," the girl said as she removed the gauss from around Kari's arm. "And this is Ivan, in case he didn't introduce himself."  
  
"Must've slipped my mind," the boy, Ivan, mumbled  
  
"As always," Maddie commented slyly.  
  
"Hey! It's not my fault I get too wrapped up in explaining things!" Ivan said in defense.  
  
"Just keep her calm and distracted while I work," she told him. "Focusing on this will only make it worse."  
  
"Right," Ivan said, looking up from Kari's arm to her face. "Don't worry: there's no doctor, digital world or real world, that knows more about medicine and healing than Maddie. No one is more qualified to give treatment to the two of you."  
  
"That's a relief," Kari said, only half-believing him. Continuing with her soup, her pain in both her arm and her head seemed to deaden. The dulling effects of the soup were surprising.  
  
"Now then, I was in the middle of explaining my pennant when Maddie arrived," Ivan said, coming back to the point when he had been interrupted. Maddie, Kari noticed, was now cleaning the open wound on her arm with gauss and had set up a large array of equipment next to her that she hadn't seen before. She had the lightest touch; Kari could hardly tell that Maddie was even there. However, the sight of her arm was enough to nearly make her faint. Her flesh had been ripped and tattered, and the bare bone was visible. The other problem was that the bone was in three pieces, which Kari was sure was two too many. However, the fact that her arm was numb and that Maddie had many kinds of binding materials and medicines laid out kept her from screaming. Her curiosity, in contrast, grew. Looking back up at Ivan, she listened to his explanation.  
  
"This is the Amulet of Ivani, an ancient relic that had been entrusted to the care of Azulongmon, the Keeper of the orbs of Hope and Light."  
  
"Oh, the dragon digimon," Kari interrupted, remembering the first time she met the mysterious digimon when they had stopped Black WarGreymon nearly three years ago.  
  
"Yes, that's him," Ivan replied. "Now, when I was twelve, both of my parents lost their lives in a car crash, leaving me to be an orphan. I was sent to live with my grandparents. I went online one day to check out my stocks, which my grandfather had shown me, when an E-mail icon appeared.  
  
"I read the E-mail with interest, since I rarely got any. It was very mysterious, for it described a world that I had only dreamed of: a world of freedom and adventure, a world of dreams, a world where digital information became real – The Digital World. There was a return address, and said to send a reply if I wanted to learn more. I thought that it was probably some new website advertisement, but replied anyway. An hour later, as I was about to sign off, the E-mail warning went off again. The E-mail was from the same person. This one had a file attachment that I downloaded after scanning for viruses. I booted up the program, and felt a rush of wind like never before. I was brought to The Digital World.  
  
"I never learned how exactly it had been done, but the program had the power to bring me here. After the initial shock of finding myself outside on a mountain, I looked up to get an even greater surprise. There was a serpent-like dragon stretching across the sky floating not twenty feet above me. It looked down at me and gave me a long lecture. I'll spare you the details, but give you the gist of it:  
  
"Azulongmon is a Keeper of the Digital World, one of four. Each was in charge of guarding two orbs of energy. Each orb had a specific balance to keep: Love, Courage, Friendship, Sincerity, Knowledge, Reliability, Hope, and Light. These balances are reflected in your crests. Although each of the Keepers can protect their orbs, they are pacifists, those who cannot or choose not to fight. By mutual agreement, each of the Keepers had decided to recruit a person from our world to help them. I was one of the lucky four chosen for the job. He said that I would be needed to aid him in defending the orbs, as well as taking the offensive against evil, to keep it from getting too strong. However, I was not alone in my endeavor. Maddie, Hakin, and Sera were also recruited to aid in the task. In addition, each of us befriended a Digimon. I met Houndramon, while Maddie met Filmaramon."  
  
"Who?" Kari asked.  
  
"Houndramon is a large dog digimon, ultimate form, quite powerful for such, but also great company. Filmaramon is a shape-shifter digimon, also an ultimate, often taking on the form of a cat or another small, fuzzy animal since Maddie loves small and fuzzy things.  
  
"When we first came here, we were each quite skilled in the wilderness, but only our Digimon could really fight, as it is for you and the rest of the Digidestined. However, the Keepers called us here to fight, not to command minions. Therefore, we were each presented with a digi-core from our respective Keeper. When we held them, they exploded with energy, enveloping us in a soft warm light. It soon formed and hardened into the suits of armor that we were wearing earlier this evening. Though they look similar on the outside, each is very different internally. The controls were designed exactly for us, as a kind of security measure, should the power fall in to the wrong hands. Each suit was obvious for us to understand and control. It was like getting a computer and already knowing how to make everything work.  
  
"With these suits, all of our physical capabilities are greatly enhanced, and each suit had different powers. These powers have a direct relationship with each of us, the skills showing how we wish to handle a situation. Mine, for example, has the ability to create a powerful restraining net, fire a few variations of energy projectiles, and create a multitude of shields and barriers with a special cannon. It is by these abilities that each of us was given our title. I am 'Ivani the Guardian,' Maddie is 'Madina the Healer,' Hakin is 'Haitaku the Striker,' and Sera is 'Sentiga the Ranger.' I have Defensive powers, reflecting my protective and defensive nature. Maddie has medicinal powers, mirroring her caring and soothing nature. Hakin has Offensive powers, portraying his strength and power. Sera has stealth and scouting skills, matching her curious and secretive nature. Using these powers in unison, we're unstoppable, but unison is a rarity with so many places in need of protection.  
  
"With that said, I'll get to my amulet. This relic has very powerful magical capabilities, such as the ability to store and release energy. Now even though our new armored suits were great, we still wanted to be able to walk on our own feet. Each of our Keepers taught us a special verse, which only we know, that will call upon the powers of our amulet. The amulet then pulls the digi-core's energy off of our bodies and stores it until we recite another verse, which releases the energy and the armor takes form again."  
  
There was a long pause, followed by a nervous laugh from Ivan. "I apologize for the lengthy description, but it was important that you get a complete answer," he concluded, now helping Maddie close up Kari's arm. Putting down her empty bowl and observing the open wound on her sore arm, she saw that Maddie had made incredible progress. The bone was now realigned, and the regrowth of her flesh progressed at an almost visible rate. This made her see that Ivan had been right; Maddie knew exactly what she was doing. "Sleep would be a good idea now, we can explain more in the morning. First, however, I think you may want to say good night to Salamon."  
  
Ivan lifted up another leafy bed on TK's left, which held the sleeping form of Salamon. She was in terrible shape, covered in bruises, cuts, and burns. Maddie assured the distraught, younger girl that digimon heal at exceptional rates, and that Salamon would be back to normal in a day or two.  
  
"I have a couple more questions," Kari said rolling over to face TK. The sight of him brought back her fear for his life in full. "Where are the other two kids that you mentioned, Hakin and Sera?"  
  
"I wish I could say," Maddie replied, now opening the bandages around TK's left leg, which now hardly resembled a leg. Kari nearly choked at the sight. The bone there made Kari's arm look normal. The bleeding, tattered flesh around the open wounds made Kari doubt Maddie again. "Don't worry, he'll be back to normal soon enough, after all, I am the great Maddie! But he did manage to get his legs pretty mangled.  
  
"Hakin and Sera have been under radio silence for some time now. I'm glad that I wasn't, or this may not have had such a happy ending." Kari cringed. After a moment, Maddie went on, "Last I heard they were going to further investigate the Northern Assembly Plant, trying to see what it would take to remove the security."  
  
"Plant?" Kari inquired.  
  
"That creature you were fighting was mechanical, as I mentioned," Ivan answered her. "There are four plants building these behemoths, one in the north, one in the south, and two in the east. The security at these places is very hard to breach, we've already had two failed attempts."  
  
"They're just methodical; we'll break through it soon," Maddie said, hoping to raise Ivan's spirits. She seemed to be shivering slightly.  
  
"Are you cold, Maddie?" Ivan asked quickly, concern in his voice.  
  
"A little," She replied. "I'm more tired, actually."  
  
"Tell me about it; seems like we never get any sleep these days," Ivan answered as he crossed over, removed his fleece jacket, and put it around Maddie's shoulders  
  
"Thanks," she said, blushing slightly.  
  
"What a gentleman," Kari said silently.  
  
"Anytime, now let's finish this so you can get some sleep too. Don't want to miss breakfast, though. I'm making my famous Ditrimal juice and Yavigaaz waffles!" Maddie's response was much more enthusiastic than Kari's was since the words sounded extensively foreign to the latter girl.At that moment, a beeping noise was emitted from Kari's pocket. Carefully reaching down, She extracted the source: her D-Terminal. Flipping up the screen, she found that she had a few new E-mails. Three were from Davis, one from Yolei, Cody, and Ken, and one from Tai. Each was asking, or more accurately imploring, where she was, if she was okay, and to reply ASAP. She had completely forgotten that no one knew what had happened to she and TK.  
  
Ivan had noticed Kari get the terminal out and was presently looking over her shoulder with interest. "It's been so long since I've used a generic computer," he said, almost longingly. "The closest thing to technology that I've been in contact with in the last three years is Ivani. Never forgot how to use 'em though; photographic memory." He tapped his forehead for emphasis. "Got a messenger program on there?"  
  
"No, these never came with IM," Kari replied.  
  
"On the contrary," Ivan said reaching over her shoulder. Pressing a quick succession of at least thirty keys, a display popped up asking for a screen name and message. "Works just like any other version – type in their screen name here, and your message here. They will receive the message and be able to respond. They don't even need to know the entry code."  
  
"Where'd you learn that?" Kari asked, astounded. She always thought she knew her D-Terminal inside and out.  
  
"A little experimentation and a lot of curiosity," he stated. "I know more about these things than their makers do, and I can make just about anything on a computer work on these little miracles. I was very busy when I was with my grandparents." Ivan concluded with a proud smile.  
  
"Yet you still can't locate the liver on a human body, let alone most of the other organs," Maddie scoffed, knocking Ivan from his aloofness. "The brain is the only one you know, since you had it replaced with a computer chip."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, ridicule me at every chance, don't you? Never miss an opportunity."  
  
"You bet. Although I wouldn't be forced to if you didn't try to show off all the time."  
  
"I can never win," Ivan whispered in Kari's ear. "It's not worth arguing with Maddie, she's a great person and incredibly intelligent, but very stubborn."  
  
"Although I'd love to listen to you two argue," Kari interjected, raising her D-Terminal with her good arm, "I would like to stop my brother from killing himself with worry and send him an E-mail. The problem is, I can only use one hand, which makes it hard to both hold and type on the terminal."  
  
"Sorry, I forgot; pass it here," Ivan responded, turning from Maddie to Kari. Taking the silvery object from Kari's hand, he opened the protective cover and loaded the E-mail window. As Kari dictated her letter, Ivan typed it. Kari spoke at a nearly normal speed, and somehow Ivan had managed to type it all in at the same speed. Next, Kari dictated a letter to Yolei, Cody, and Ken, but decided not to respond to Davis' letters.  
  
"Good idea," Ivan responded as he read over the letters Davis had sent. "He seems to be asking personal questions that not only do not relate to the current situation, but I personally find quite offensive. Where does he get off asking this stuff of a fourteen year-old? Jeez, where'd he learn that? He's one lovesick puppy that doesn't understand subterfuge in the least. What a pity."  
  
"I'm guessing he has a few issues?" Maddie questioned, making assumptions from what Ivan had said.  
  
"Not really," Kari replied, though not understanding why she was defending Davis. "I mean, he is crazy about me, which I don't like, and he doesn't quit at anything, he's far too stubborn, which can be a problem. But, other than me, Davis is pretty okay if he wants to be, even cool at times, when he's not trying to brag about skill that he doesn't have."  
  
"I see," Maddie said thoughtfully. "What about your other friends? Yolei, Cody, Ken, and TK? Tell us a little about them, too. We haven't seen any of you, except occasionally from a distance."  
  
"Well, to be completely objective, they're all great people but they each have a few quirks," Kari said after a thoughtful pause. "Yolei, for example is a kind, caring person when it comes to anyone but boys her age. With boys, however, she's a bit different. She's very radical, either falling in love with or despising each boy she meets. Humorous in a way, but something that has diminished with age. Nowadays she's more careful and less extreme.  
  
"Then there's Cody, who is quite different. Anyone he knows he treats with great respect, but he is much less accepting of others. For example, back when Ken first started to fight with us, Cody was the last to truly accept him, but once he did, the two became great friends. You should see them now; they look like they've been friends since Cody entered kindergarten. Again, his flaw has decreased over the years. Now he would not be as brash, and would forgive others more quickly.  
  
"Ken has a flaw which is different from anyone else I know, but that's probably because the flaw kept him out of contact with us. It's isolation. When Ken finally receded from 'Digimon Emperor' status to nothing, he asked no one for help, simply taking all of the blame on himself. This made it much harder for him to join us, and he wanted to liberate himself before talking to anyone. But his condition is nearly gone since now he hangs out with many other kids that he once hated. Also, he is great friends with all of us and is always accepting of anyone new.  
  
"TK," Kari said slowly, trying to find proper words. "TK's different."  
  
"How so?" Maddie asked looking up momentarily from the application of a medicinal potion.  
  
"Well, I don't really know what flaws he has," Kari answered uncertainly. "He can be a little stubborn, and a bit rash, but he's got no major flaws like the others, except that he can be selfless."  
  
"Selfless?" Ivan inquired, looking up as well. "What's wrong with that?"  
  
"He's always watching out for everyone, but he never cares about what happens to him," Kari replied, looking over at TK. "His injury is my fault. If I hadn't dropped my camera, we'd both be back in the Real World. But if he hadn't noticed, or cared so much about me so he did what he did, at least he would be safe."  
  
"True, but if he had not done so, what do you think he would be doing to himself now?" Ivan's question sent Kari deep into thought. She had never thought about being separated from the golden-haired boy for more than a day or two ever since he moved into Odaiba. His companionship had come to the point of being a granted security in her life. "You know how much he cares about you, and if he had been on the other side of the television he would fall apart. Besides, it isn't as though he could stop himself from helping others. Such is one of the blessings he received from higher powers upon his birth. Think of his actions not as a flaw, but as an astounding display of courage and love. Did you see Davis going out of his way to help you?"  
  
"That was kind of my point in the first place," Kari replied after a moment's thought. "He doesn't have any major flaws, not that I can see, anyway."  
  
"If only she knew what that meant about her feelings for him," The brown-haired boy said to himself, his eyes shying away. Ivan knew exactly what Kari felt for TK, the challenge for him now was to ensure that TK accepted and returned it to Kari. At least, he had to do so if his plan was to succeed.  
  
"I apologize, Kari," Ivan began after a moment's silence. "We have kept you awake far too long; sleep is vital now. I hope that we can be moving out tomorrow, and for that to happen, we need you to sleep. We shall wake you for breakfast. Do not worry, TK is in good hands, and shall be ready to go tomorrow as well. Sleep and let your concerns fall from your shoulders."  
  
Kari wished desperately to stay awake. She had so many unanswered questions, so many worries and doubts that needed correction and reassurance, so many hopes and prayers that needed confirmation and answers.However, exhaustion was starting to overpower her, acting like a lead weight on her body. The pains in her arm were returning, too. The soup's effects were wearing off. Consciousness was leaving her, and she knew that she would soon be lost amongst her dreams. Doing her best to fight it, she watched TK. His golden hair had partially fallen over his closed eyes. The gentle yet subtle smile on his lips assured her that he was still alive, and she closed her eyes tightly, as if to keep his image in her memory for as long as possible. Whispering a loving good night to TK, she lost her grip on reality, falling into her dreamland.  
  
She fell asleep seeing TK getting his left leg rebandaged and his right leg surgically opened by the two people that she had only just met, yet trusted unquestioningly for some reason. Sadly for her, if Kari thought that she was going to have a restful sleep, she was far from the truth. 


	3. Duende

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 2- Duende  
  
As Kari drifted into sleep, she came to a most disturbing dream. She was walking along a cliff face, perhaps the one outside, when a roar echoed in her ears. Far to her left, over a hill, an object emerged and charged at her. Ivan, who must have been next to her, muttered a strange phrase and transformed. After a burst of light, Ivani stood in his place and extended his left arm. A small slit in the otherwise seamless plating appeared and began to glow with a pale blue light.  
  
Leaping into the air, Ivani met the enemy. It was a small flying robot disguised as a Flymon. Ivani became airborne as well. A small booster on his back had emerged, emitting a bright blue flame. Raising his left arm to the enemy, he cried out "Ivani Cannon!" and released a barrage of energy blades from the slot on his arm. The light blue energy shards sliced through the robot, removing many circuit boards and two of the many limbs. What remained of the robot fought back, firing green blobs of acidic material in Ivani's general direction. However, whenever the robot fired, Ivani had already moved to safety. Again, Ivani opened his left arm slot. This time, he gathered a much greater amount of energy, causing the barrel to glow intensely. His right arm came to support his left as it started to shake. With a quick swipe and a yell, "Ivani Vulcan!" Ivani released the stored energy in a great beam of light. The shot slammed into Ivani's adversary. The result was a smoking pile of wreckage, not resembling the robotic Flymon in the slightest.  
  
Ivani landed back next to Kari, only to hear a sonic blast. Ivani took flight, ready for another round. A new robot appeared, coming across the valley at a great speed. This one was nearly identical to the one that had attacked the village in appearance: massive and land bound. In the middle of its charge, the robot leapt into the air and came down with a crash near Kari. Ivani presently engaged it, starting the battle by releasing another barrage of cannon fire as he placed himself between Kari and the robot.  
  
He arrived not a moment too soon, for although Ivani cleft one arm of the robot with his assault, the being cried, "Glacial Spike!" in retaliation and launched a huge icicle from its remaining arm. Ivani didn't move, simply holding his position in the direct line of fire. As the attack neared, it ricocheted off of an invisible barrier. Ivani remained unscathed. The spike flew into the cliff wall and caused a small avalanche.  
  
Moving at a speed that could rival light, Ivani swept Kari off her feet and rested her several yards away from the cliff. Rocks and dirt toppled over her previous position. Leaving her near the mouth of the cave, Ivani returned to the fight. This time, he took a new strategy. Raising his left arm above his head, the slot opened once again. A beautiful, elaborate sword ejected from the opening and was caught cleanly in Ivani's outstretched hand. Kari knew it was the sword she had seen last night, but it now looked far different from what she could remember. It was bathed in a glowing blue field of energy. With a surge of speed, Ivani crossed the behemoth on its right side, holding his left arm out. Once he finished his aerial dash, Ivani turned back to face the giant robot. The robot had clearly been severed along its right side, and was now having trouble standing. This still did not stop his next move. With Kari unprotected, the robot raised its left arm, yelled, "Frozen Wave!" and released a huge beam of frozen energy at Kari. As the attack neared her, she threw her arms in front of her face as if to block it, only to hear something jump up and block the attack. When Kari lowered her arms, TK was laying next to her, utterly still upon the earth.  
  
"TK!"  
  
"Huh? What's wrong Kari? TK is fine. He's still asleep, but he will be up soon enough. At least open your eyes."  
  
Kari obeyed the voice and saw Ivan and Maddie kneeling over her, both looking slightly distressed.  
  
"You were screaming," Maddie informed her. "We thought you were having a nightmare, or something. Are you okay?"  
  
"Fine, I guess," Kari replied. "Must have been a silly nightmare; I'm better now."  
  
"That's a relief," Ivan said, relaxing a bit and getting to his feet. "Are you hungry? Breakfast has been ready for some time now. It was delicious, right, Maddie?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever you say, Mister Master Chef." Maddie seemed to be much more energetic, though it looked like they hadn't even gone to sleep. No beds were out, but both were wide-awake and working. The sun was just now rising, Kari noted, as long shadows were cast by each of the people before her.  
  
"Hey, it was!" Ivan responded defensively. Turning his attention to Kari, he continued, "Ignore her, she's always giving me a hard time. Here, have some, it really was good."  
  
Unable to resist the idea of eating after a day with only one bowl of soup, Kari accepted the dish, which had many exotic foods on it. Although deterred by the sight of the food, she tried some. It proved to fit Ivan's theory of deliciousness. She finished off the rest of the plate with haste.  
  
"So, how's your arm?" Ivan asked, taking her empty plate and adding it to the pile already collected. The mention of her arm brought her back to the full reality of her situation.  
  
"It's better, but it still aches," she replied, trying to move her arm a little. It had been splinted and was therefore restricted to vertical movement only. Lifting it hurt her greatly, so she rested back down.  
  
"It's not a good idea to move it," Maddie called, presently working on attaching splints to TK's legs. "TK's been healing quickly, as have both of the digimon," she added, catching Kari's concerned look at TK. "We should be able to mobilize tomorrow. We can't stay put for too long, or we'll be detected."  
  
"Where do we plan to go?" Kari asked curiously.  
  
"Well, we have two choices," Ivan answered. "We can either try and take the mountain path, which goes for about fifty miles north, until we come out in a small clearing along a river. There's a TV there. Our other choice is to go into the forest to the east and travel for about sixty miles, until we reach Secondary Village. They also have a TV."  
  
"What's Secondary Village?" Kari questioned, intrigued.  
  
"It's where all the In-Training Digimon go after digivolving from their baby stages," Ivan said. "I would suggest that we head to Secondary Village. Not only will I be able to gather ingredients for my recipes, but also I think flat terrain may be better for TK to travel on. But I think we ought to let TK have a say, too, so we'll wait for him to wake up before we decide. Now, all we have to do is wait."  
  
"Anyone have an idea on how to pass the time?" Maddie asked, now finished adding splints to TK's legs.  
  
"I do have a few more questions I'd like answered," Kari said hesitantly.  
  
"Okay; shoot," Ivan said sitting down on the ground next to Maddie.  
  
"How long have you been here?" Kari asked.  
  
"Well, we were all called at approximately the same age," Ivan answered. "Maddie, the eldest of our group-"  
  
"Better believe it." Maddie stated triumphantly. Ivan sighed, shaking his head.  
  
"She has been here the longest," Ivan admitted. "I have been here about one month less. The four of us are fifteen, seeing as Sera just had her birthday a week ago. She's the youngest, about six months younger than Maddie. We were each contacted on our twelfth birthday, so we've all had at least three years' experience by now."  
  
"Do either of you know why you were selected for the position?" Kari inquired.  
  
"I think," Maddie replied, "That we all had some traumatic experience in our lives. At least, that's one common thing we all share. For example, Ivan was unfortunate enough to have his parents die, and I-I-" Maddie stopped, unable to continue.

"She was," The brown-haired boy began. He kept his gaze down for a long time, as if in search of words. "Well, she was abused," Ivan quietly said after a long pause. The words alone hurt Maddie; she cringed. Ivan tentatively put his arm around her shoulders as he continued. "Her parents were both really violent. They often got into fights and sometimes they didn't have a great resolution. One time, her father actually knocked her mother unconscious, nearly killed her. After that, she got help from the police, who came in and arrested both of the parents.  
  
"Sadly, it doesn't end there," Ivan continued, holding Maddie comfortingly. She now looked down to hide her grief, embarrassed of her past. "She moved to her aunt's house. One day at school, a boy named Jason asked her if he could walk home with her. One event led to another and they were an official couple after a week or two. The relationship started out okay, but it went sour quickly. Whenever Jason got mad, he'd take it out on Maddie.  
  
It started with minor things like petty insults and slight controlling behavior. But he couldn't help himself, and his dementia progressed. Soon, he was being very forceful to Maddie, ordering her around like a slave. Then, he started to hurt her physically." Maddie had by this point stopped listening, trying to keep from crying, but failing miserably. She pressed her head into Ivan's shoulder and allowed her tears to come. Slowly, they soaked Ivan's shirt. He paid it little mind, keeping a rhythmic and comforting motion with his hand on her back. After taking a momentary pause to calm Maddie, Ivan continued with his explanation of Maddie's past.  
  
"First they were nudges. Then they were shoves. Then they were fists. Then there were feet added to the equation. Jason is a very strong person; he was on the football team. He used this strength to his advantage, throwing Maddie into lockers, walls, and nearly anything else when he lost his temper.  
  
"You're probably wondering why on earth Maddie put up with Jason, rather than just ditching him, but it isn't always that simple. When someone is put through abuse which progresses in a manner such as this, it's hard for the victim to identify the actual abuse. Oftentimes, the victim is under the delusion, usually induced by the abuser, that their relationship is normal. Therefore, they go along with the treatment to the point that the victim endures incredible damage.  
  
"Maddie tried to hide her situation, but her friend Lucy eventually found out. It was almost too late, for when the police were informed and searched Jason's person, they discovered a jack-knife." Kari gasped. Maddie now lost all control, the nearness to her own death a few years ago still firmly embedded in her memory. "He was tried and convicted of attempted murder and assault & battery. He spent some time in jail; I don't think he has been released yet. Hopefully not; someone like that should be given a life sentence."  
  
"But it was all my fault!" Maddie sobbed out, breaking Ivan off. "He was so nice to me, If only I'd been nicer; if only I'd been more helpful and done what he asked-"  
  
"Maddie, that's a lie and you know it!" Ivan roared, shocking her out of her tears. She looked at him with wide, wet eyes. "It was never your fault, he treated you that way because he was a horrible, sick person. That's not how a relationship should be. He should've paid attention to your feelings, not just forced you to think his way. It wasn't your fault, it never was." Ivan started to rock Maddie back and forth gently, who had resumed her sobbing. "He brainwashed you into thinking like that. He never cared about you – never. He just thought of you as a possession. Maddie, I'm sorry. I'm very sorry you had to go through that alone."  
  
He continued to calm her, eventually becoming successful. Kari was speechless as to what she had just seen. That young girl, barely older than herself, had been put through more than Kari could have ever endured. She had hidden it so well, always being so kind, helpful and energetic, and with her teasing manner towards Ivan. Kari never would have guessed. As Maddie came to her senses once again, she looked demurely downward, still embarrassed by her past.  
  
"When Maddie became free of Jason and his controlling ways, She found her passion in helping others," Ivan continued, releasing the girl. "She never wants anyone else to have to endure what she endured or see what she has seen. She always puts the needs of other before herself." Ivan looked down at the girl beside him, his eyes filled with empathy. Kari could see how deeply Ivan wanted to help her, to take away her pain and bring her back to her normal mood once again.  
  
"Could you not make us repeat this to TK?" Maddie pleaded suddenly, although not looking up.  
  
Kari could only nod, still taking in everything that she had just heard.  
  
"I think that we'll leave our explanations there for now," Ivan said.  
  
"Why?" Kari asked gently, not wanting to pry, but still curious.  
  
"I'm not sure Maddie's ready to talk just yet. Moreover, I'm afraid that we've been spotted."  
  
Maddie's head rose in alarm, looking at Ivan with fear. Kari was confused. "Huh?"  
  
Ivan gestured for her to be quiet, then concentrated, running his fingers lightly across the soft dirt floor. "Merely a scout," He stated after a minute. "It will be here soon, but this means that we don't have much time. Once one comes, they all come. Maddie, stay here and watch our injured friends. Kari, come with me. I think you ought to see what these things really are." He reached out and grabbed Kari's left hand, helping her up. Her right arm stung badly, but she bit her lip in an attempt to ignore it.  
  
"Now, this won't be a quick battle, nor an easy one," Ivan explained. "These scouts can rival the strength of a Mega Digimon. Just stay against the cliff face and keep low."  
  
Kari nodded numbly, following Ivan out of the cave. She still had no idea what Ivan was getting at, but his guidance had so far been flawless and she decided to keep her trust in him.  
  
As Kari followed Ivan out of the cave, she had a sinking feeling that this battle was going to have a bad outcome. However, Ivan seemed to be in much better spirits as he led Kari to a small outlying rock and instructed her to stay behind it. Her only order was to keep watch on the battle.  
  
"This is very important to watch," he explained. "You'll see the power of Dragoon Armor and learn what we are really up against."  
  
He turned from her and faced the hills to the south. A low rumbling noise became audible, and then exploded with an impressive roar, like that of a car engine amplified many times.  
  
"He's a loud little bugger," Ivan muttered.  
  
As Kari watched, a small object rose over the mountains, obviously airborne, and charged at them with great speed. Ivan was ready. Whispering his secret phrase, his amulet glowed as the energy within it sprang to life, enveloping him in white light. As the light faded, Ivani's armor was standing before her with Ivan inside. Rising into the air, Ivan moved slightly to the left of the approaching object. The creature's physical attributes came into view; it resembled a Flymon. Ivani watched it, waiting patiently. As it came nearer, he returned the charge, checking the creature down into the ground below. As it fell, its skin was torn off in places, revealing mechanical parts and electronic circuits underneath.  
  
"Horned Torpedo!" came a robotic imitation of a Flymon's voice. Its tail end rose up and fired multiple metallic projectiles at Ivani. Swerving to the left and right, Ivani dodged the attacks and continued with his riposte.  
  
"Ivani Cannon!" Ivan yelled from within the armor. Suddenly, a compartment on his left arm angled upward slightly, revealing a small chamber charged with energy. Although Kari couldn't exactly see what happened, Ivani somehow fired a small cluster of spinning blades that were composed of entirely of a pale, glowing blue essence from the slot. Each bolt sliced through or pierced the grounded robot, then disappeared. The robot, mangled and missing a pair of arms raised its tail end again.  
  
"Acidic Assault!" the robotic voice cried. This time, the projectiles came faster and were covered in a green jelly. Again, the faux digimon's attacks were easily evaded. When the spikes hit the ground, they started to melt the surrounding terrain. Kari figured that the green substance was, as stated, acidic.  
  
"Let's finish this," Ivani said under his breath. Then he dictated in a roar, "Ivani Vulcan!" The arm-slot opened again. Tiny blue balls of energy appeared in the air, flooding into the arm-slot. The slot grew gradually brighter and brighter, until it was potent enough to force Kari to shield her eyes. The left arm started to shake as the energy levels grew. Then, steadying his left arm with his right, Ivani aimed his now charged cannon at the robot. With a blinding flash and an extravagant sonic boom, the energy was released. A brilliant beam of blue-white light was released, which pierced through the center of the robot. Ivani had performed a back flip in air as he fired the Vulcan as a way to lower the recoil the shot created.  
  
The remnants of the opposing robot were little, and what was there could not be related to the object that had entered the battle in any way. Ivan landed crisply next to Kari. He disengaged the helmet, allowing him to see normally again, rather than through the tinted visor plate that acted as the eye-shield on the helmet.  
  
"Well, there you have it: a battle between a robot and a Dragoon," Ivan said cheerily to Kari, who was awestruck by the display she had just seen. "Don't be fooled, I don't have nearly as much power as many of the robots, we were fortunate that they sent one of their clumsiest soldiers to fight us. They get much bigger and much stronger. Now let's go ba-"  
  
A loud blast sounded on the opposite side of the hill. "Here we go again," Ivan muttered. "This one's bigger, maybe as strong as the one that attacked you and your friends yesterday. No matter, he'll join his friend in the trash pile." Ivan reengaged his helmet and vaulted into the air.  
  
The new robot was indeed similar to the one that had attacked Kari the pervious day. Large and hulking, it bore down on her and Ivan. It resembled a digimon that Kari had never seen before, but she now knew that the outer covering was merely a skin.  
  
The robot covered the distance with remarkable speed. Again, Ivani checked the enemy robot, removing some of the covering material from the underlying circuitry. However, this machine did not fall as the Flymon-robot had. It merely stumbled. Ivani did not seem to care, reopening his arm-slot.  
  
"Ivani Cannon!" Ivan yelled, raising his arm and releasing a barrage of spinning energy shards. They managed to remove its left arm and knock it back considerably. Ivani took this opportunity to reposition himself in front of Kari. The monster had risen and pointed its right arm at Ivani and Kari.  
  
"Glacial Spike!" boomed the digimon's recorded voice. A large pillar of ice launched out of its palm and flew straight at Ivani. Kari suddenly realized what was happening – Her dream. It was all coming true. The enemies were in order, the same succession of attacks had passed, and now Ivani would block this attack with an invisible barrier.

Sure enough, the spike of ice ricocheted off of an unseen force field and hurtled into the cliff face. As the rocks cascaded down from the cliff above, Kari raised her arms as Ivani lifted her off the ground and flew her to safety near the mouth of the cave.  
  
"Wait," Kari said to herself, "If my dream is coming true, then-"  
  
"Ivani's Blade!" Ivan called out, extending his extravagant sword from the arm-slot and, gripping it tightly, dashing at the robot.  
  
"-That must mean that TK is-"  
  
The slash finished, the robot sagged down on its right side, where large parts of internals were now missing and chunks of circuitry were broken loose. Some components snapped free and tumbled to the ground, while others hung on by stray thin wires.  
  
"-About to come in and-"  
  
"Frozen Wave!" The hulking mechanization screamed, the recording faltering as it attacked.  
  
"No!" Kari quickly covered her eyes as the wave of ice frost came out in a beam from the behemoth's right arm. She heard the sound of running feet, which made one particularly loud thud before the owner of them jumped into the air, taking the blow on full. A heavy thud reverberated through the ground, and then silence fell.  
  
"No, no, no!" Kari's head screamed, tears flowing uncontrollably from her eyes. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "It can't be true, TK can't be dead; I need him!"  
  
"Demon!" Ivani's scream echoed in Kari's ears. Kari blinked her eyes, looking up first in Ivani's direction, and then to her side in frightful curiosity.  
  
TK's body lay next to her, lying silent and still beside her. "No!" she screamed. Hearing noise beside her, she turned. Ivani had driven through the mechanical horror with his sword a second time. It stood for only a moment longer before slumping to the ground in a heap of metal. It had paid dearly for its mistake. She looked to the mouth of the cave. Maddie had come out, and on seeing TK next to Kari, she ran out.  
  
"What were you thinking?" Maddie cried. "Are you alright? Don't ever do that again, you'll get yourself killed!" she leaned over TK and picked him up, carrying him back into the cave.

Kari was confused. She thought she heard and saw TK die, yet Maddie had lifted him with no effort at all, something that she was sure Maddie did not have the strength for. She also made the incident look infinitesimal, shedding no tears at seeing a person dead.  
  
Ivani was walking back over to Kari. "Sorry 'bout that," he said slowly. "I didn't penetrate far enough on my first pass. Then it decided to shoot the digimon, the stupid machine." He looked over his shoulder at the torn shards of metal, although his eyes were not visible, Kari sensed that he was glaring at the scrapped robot.  
  
"What are you talking about? What's going on? Where's TK?" Kari was now more confused than ever.  
  
"TK?" Ivani asked, confused. After a moment's thought it hit him. "Oh, you mean Filmaramon. That was her mistake. I'm sure she'll apologize for giving you such a scare. It's not really her fault, she can't always choose what she changes into."  
  
"Who?" Kari asked as puzzlement became further apparent.  
  
"Filmaramon," Ivan told Kari, helping the girl back to her feet. "It's Maddie's digimon friend. You didn't think that we would have spent three years in the Digital World without making some friends, did you?" Now that Kari thought about it, she realized that it would have been pretty boring around the Digital World without Gatomon, not to mention more dangerous. "Filmaramon is a shape-shifter digimon. She can become almost anything she wants. However, I have no idea why she would have taken on TK's form. Anyway, let's go back to the cave; Maddie can help me explain this better."  
  
Still stunned, Kari followed Ivani back into the cave, where a fifth impromptu mattress had been placed next to Patamon at the far end. Maddie was sitting next to the fifth bed, obstructing their view.  
  
"Just rest now," Maddie said soothingly to the creature on the fifth leafy bed. "You need to rest; you took quite a hit back there. Brave and foolish at the same time, as always, Filmaramon. I'll wake you up when Ivan makes some food, alright?"  
  
"Maddie has been afraid to make any close connections with people after her abusive boyfriend," Ivani whispered in Kari's ear. "Only Filmaramon has been able to reach through the shell that Maddie has created to protect herself from others and talk to the real Maddie. Even I have yet to completely accomplish that."  
  
Ivani recalled his armor with the same whispered phrase as the night before, flooding the room with light as the essence of his armor collected again within the amulet. The sudden burst of light alerted Maddie, who turned quickly to face the two now entering the cave.  
  
"Hi," She said kindly. "Well done, Ivan. A very pretty display; it was most intriguing to watch. I wish Filmaramon hadn't done that though."  
  
"Well, at least she protected Kari," Ivan replied. "She's very noble, even if she doesn't always think things through."  
  
"Ivan," Kari asked hesitantly, "You said that each of you had become friends with a digimon, right?"

"Right."  
  
"Whom did you become friends with? Where is he?"  
  
"He ought to be here already," Ivan said slowly. He glanced over his shoulder, out the cave entrance. "I'll call him, hold on a sec." Ivan walked outside the cave about ten feet, put his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle. It was loud enough that Kari was sure it would carry all the way back to the Real World.  
  
A moment later, the rapid thundering of running feet could be heard, and a black blur appeared over the hills. It approached at an immeasurable speed, clearing the distance from the southern horizon to the cave in a matter of seconds. It came to a sharp halt a few feet from Ivan, releasing a mighty wake of air into the cave. The wind came at gale force, and although it subsided after a moment, it sent a majority of the leaves and other belongings into the ceiling of the cave. The creature then trotted the rest of the distance to the center of the cave. It appeared to be a large black Labrador, but had blue streaks of fur along its body that reminded Kari of Raidramon. It acted similarly to a dog, sitting and panting at Ivan's feet once the boy entered. Ivan kneeled down and started to pet the creature on the head, which it appeared to enjoy.  
"Allow me to introduce-"  
  
"Houndramon!" the dog interrupted with a canine bow.  
  
"Yes," Ivan said with a raised eyebrow at the animal. "He is the digimon that I became friends with. He has almost every dog characteristic, except that he does think about more important things than food, albeit occasional. Both he and Filmaramon are of the Ultimate level and have power that far surpasses others of their level. However, they hide it well in their small frames. Not only that, but they have much more physical prowess than average ultimate digimon, making them efficient back-up in melee combat."  
  
"Damn straight," The dog said proudly.  
  
"Although he is usually well behaved, his mouth isn't," Ivan warned.  
  
"Yeah, Yeah, I'm a swearing lunatic," the dog mocked. "I apologize. Trust me, I'm not going to try and look like a fool in front of two beautiful girls."  
  
"Too late." Maddie joked, kneeling down to pet the furry beast. "Don't worry Kari, he won't bite. He's just having a little fun."  
  
"Well, I hate to pull the plug on this exhilarating party," Kari joked, "but I ought to get some sleep. My arm is really hurting and I'm getting a headache again."  
  
Ivan and Maddie helped Kari back down onto her bed. Once she was lying down, Ivan and Houndramon started to catch up while Maddie reopened Kari's bandages. "You're looking much better," Maddie commented, examining the wound. "I think it will be fully healed in a day, two at the most. Good thing, too if we're leaving tomorrow morning."  
  
"How did it heal so fast?" Kari asked.  
  
"Simple," Maddie explained. "My Keeper, Kilvaramon the Phoenix, gave me the gift of healing just as Izulanmon gave Ivan the Defensive abilities that he possesses. I can bring a dead person to life, and can mend a severed limb in days, not that I've ever had to," She added hastily when she saw Kari's horrified expression. "I'm not sure that I could handle that sight. But a gash like this is no problem; they're almost routine for me by now. You won't even noti---tha---it---"  
  
Kari never heard the end of Maddie's story, for she had fallen asleep from exhaustion. Thankfully, her sleep this time was considerably more peaceful, allowing her some actual rest. However, had Kari known what the following days would hold, she never would have been able to find solace in slumber, let alone anywhere else.


	4. Ready or Not

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 3- Ready or Not

Kari slept much more peacefully as she rested from her previous ordeal. Lost in her dream world, she could finally relax. However, if Kari knew what the events of the next day would bring, she would have stayed asleep for as long as possible.  
  
Unfortunately for her, Kari did not have a crystal ball and was going to have to take the events on in full. There was to be neither comfort nor protection from knowing the outcome of the future events.

Kari awoke in the evening of that second day. Ivan and Maddie were still awake, now sitting and eating. This meal resembled rice and tofu, but had a most unusual coloration. The rice was colored violet, and she was sure that the tofu was glowing. By now it scared her less, after having two meals of the strangely colored food. She also noticed a third person had joined them. When she awoke with her bleary eyes, she had thought it was Houndramon. But after looking closely, she realized that who it was.

"TK!" Kari exclaimed at finally seeing her best friend conscious. The three people looked up, all smiling at Kari. Ivan quickly got another dish of the rice and tofu, while Maddie helped Kari over to the makeshift table made of something similar to cardboard.  
  
"Welcome back," Maddie said as she sat down on Kari's right, with TK on Kari's left. "Your friend here has been very curious about what has happened, and we filled him on the last twenty-four hours."  
  
"It was all very interesting," TK commented, having another square of the florescent tofu. "But I was really worried about you. I think I heard you scream at one point. Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so," Kari replied, rubbing her sore arm. "I think that was when your doppelganger, Filmaramon had jumped up and gotten blown away by that robot thing. I was really worried about you, you had been asleep for so long. Your legs were in such bad condition that they looked like jelly," Kari shook her head to furtively dismiss her emotion. "Are they any better?"  
  
"Yeah, I think I'll be able to walk soon," He answered, displaying one of his legs. They were still badly damaged, making Kari want to cry. They did look better however, so she focused on his recuperation. "Don't worry. I'd never leave you. You know I care too much about you to leave you." He put his arm on her shoulder, making Kari blush slightly.  
  
"I hope you can walk tomorrow, 'cause we can't hang around here anymore," Ivan said, placing a dish of food in front of Kari and taking his seat across from her. "It's getting too dangerous here. They know we're here, and if we don't leave by tomorrow morning, they'll attack again with far greater force. With your legs still in their condition, I think we'll have to take the long path through the woods and across the river to Secondary Village. It's a sixty-mile hike along a windy road through the wilderness, but we should have effective cover from our pursuers. Estimating that we cover about ten miles a day, with respectable breaks and rests along the way, the journey should take about a week."  
  
"But couldn't you and Maddie just fly us there?" Kari interjected. "Why don't you just airlift us over the forest to the village?"  
  
"Well, that would work if we could carry your weight for a sustained amount of time," Ivan answered. "The suits do enhance our strength, but the flight engines have little stamina with added weight. That distance is too great to cover with the two of you and our digimon. Also, our flight engines create incredible heat, and being too near it will burn you quite badly. Our suits have flame shields, but you do not. I'm sorry, but we'll have to travel on foot for this trip."  
  
"What about supplies?" TK asked on behalf of his stomach.  
  
"The forest will supply us with proper shelter and food," Maddie replied. "Ivan is an expert at finding food, only bested by Sera. Shelter will be easy enough, for the forest contains more than enough clearings and hollowed trees we could utilize. Water flows through a river that cuts across our path at the far side. It can be purified via boiling it, so our supplies will be all around us. No worries there. Any other questions?" She asked, presently helping Ivan clear the dishes.  
  
"Will there be any dangers in the forest?" Kari inquired.  
  
"As with all journeys we will encounter our share of dangers," Ivan answered. "I think that there may be some natural enemies in there, such as Giant Spiders, Wolf-Lions – the works. Also, there are many pitfalls, cliffs, and chasms in the forest. However, our main problem will be with drones."  
  
"With what?" Kari and TK said at the same time.  
  
"Drones are bio-mechanical killers; equipped with razor sharp blades and built of an alloy native to this world, they are incredibly effective and powerful," Ivan answered. "Many are even installed with a cloaking device, making infrared vision a necessity when fighting them. All four Dragoon helmets have infrared and x-ray vision capabilities, so they are not difficult for us to fight, but they are quite hard to terminate. They have lightning reflexes and great strength, making them extremely fast and agile.  
  
"These robotic nightmares were created as a force to combat the robots that we are fighting," Ivan continued, unable to resist giving another explanation. "It was an epic battle, one that no digimon will ever forget. The two forces were very closely matched: the drones with their small size and speed, while the robots had their great size and strength. Many robots fell in the valleys, and the hilltops are now covered with destroyed manufacturing facilities. The fields, once peaceful and green, are now smoldering and dead, littered with the wreckage of hundreds of drones and robots. In the end, the drones made a fatal mistake. They allowed infiltration units created by the robots into the HQ of the drones. With a quick assassination, the drone leader fell and the drones were instantly deactivated. They had been controlled through a psychic connection by the leader. Many drones stood idly around the world for a long time. Recently, though, they have been repowered.  
  
"The robot leader, whoever he or she is, built an amazing device. It was able to play messages across the same wavelength that had previously powered the drones. He soon collected a large army of drones to his side. He then commanded them to destroy the digimon's villages across the Digital World. Now digimon had a really big danger on their hands. Not only had the drones stopped attacking the robots, but they were aiding them. It was time for us to come in.  
  
"For over a month now we have been fighting against the large array of mechanical demon machines, but they keep coming. It seems that the drones have even started to repopulate. The robot leader must have built a drone factory somewhere. Although we fight hard and win our battles, we seem to be fighting a quickly faltering war. It won't be long before we lose all of our chances of stemming the enemy's advance, losing all hope of rescuing this world. The four of us refuse to believe in such odds and constantly strive to tear down the robots and their drone accomplices." Ivan concluded his explanation, now standing and pacing.  
  
"We'll get them," Maddie said. She stopped his pacing with a hand on his shoulder. "There's no way we can lose, we just have to find the right front to attack them on. Don't despair, you're the Guardian of Hope, you can't lose Hope."  
  
"I know, but it just seems pointless," Ivan said lowly. "We try and we try, but we never get anywhere."  
  
"So, keep trying." TK said, standing next to Maddie. "I know what it's like to lose hope, but I've always found that it's there. I just ended up missing something the first time through. I never can find something right in front of me, even if I look everywhere."  
  
"TK's right, and I should know," Kari added, also standing. "After all, his locker couldn't be messier, but all of his stuff is in an obvious place." TK blinked, flushing red.  
  
"Yeah, yeah," TK mumbled, glancing down. "That's what I mean though," TK continued with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Just keep looking. You'll find the answer soon enough; it has to be there. The four of you are fighting for the entire Digital World. Every digimon across the face of the planet is backing you up."  
  
"They're right, Ivan," Maddie said, walking around behind the brown-haired boy to his other shoulder. "The answer's there, and we'll find it. There's a solution to everything and we will find it soon enough. However, I think getting TK and Kari back home is a more pressing matter. Who knows? Maybe we'll find the key along the way."  
  
"Alright, you've convinced me; I'm back," Ivan said, losing his low tone for a more energetic one.  
  
"Oh yay, what a relief," Maddie said sarcastically.  
  
"Never a moment's rest from your taunts, eh Maddie?" Ivan asked teasingly, sitting back down.  
  
"Nope!" she answered brightly. The rest of the group sat down, ready to continue the discussion.  
  
"What else will we be facing again?" TK asked, wanting to make sure he knew all that he could ahead of time.  
  
"Well, there will be some large beasts and creatures that will want us for dinner, some pitfalls and dikes that want to swallow us up and biodegrade us into fertilizer, and a bunch of stealthy drones lurking around waiting for the perfect time to dash in and behead us." Maddie answered him, sounding rather excited. "No problem for a couple experienced Dragoons like us."  
  
"I wouldn't worry about it guys; the dangers will have respectable distance between each other," Ivan assured the Digidestined. "And as Maddie says, we are experienced in this area, so it won't be too risky for either of you. Just stay together and be sure to follow us since the forest isn't too big on keeping its paths straight. It likes to move them from time to time. No worries, though; we know our way," He added at the sight of their surprised and scared faces.  
  
"Well, not exactly," Maddie corrected. "We're going to need Houndramon's-"  
  
"Yes?" came the growling voice of Houndramon as he entered the room to better overhear the conversation. "You're gonna be depending on my what?" He asked.  
  
"Your sense of smell and direction," Maddie continued, now speaking to Houndramon. "Dogs have great extrasensory perception, so you should be a worthy guide to get us from one side of the forest to the other.  
  
"Oh; okay," Houndramon replied. "Just remember, I'm not a dog. I'm a digi-dog." His voice was flared with pride.  
  
"Right," Maddie said slowly, rolling her eyes.  
  
"It'll be no problem," Houndramon consented. "I've been through there many times. I think I might even have a few robotic bones in there that I scrounged up from the battlefields. I wonder if anything happened to them. Not that metal decays, but those are no ordinary trees."  
  
"What exactly is the difference between him and a real dog?" Kari whispered in TK's ear in a joking manner. "I mean, really: robot bones? I think he's just faking the whole digimon thing."  
  
"We'll see tomorrow," TK replied, also whispering. "I'm curious about what he means by 'those are no ordinary trees.' I hope that they don't pose too much of a threat."  
  
"They didn't mention it in their list of dangers, did they?" Kari said, trying to reassure him.  
  
"True," TK replied uncertainly. His gaze fell back to the makeshift table.  
  
"I think I'll take this sorry bag of fur for a walk, preferably down to a big lake," Ivan announced.  
  
"Why?" Kari asked.  
  
"He need's to get his mouth cleaned out and is in serious need of a mind wash," Ivan replied with a smirk at his friend.  
  
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my head," Houndramon said defensively. "I just get fuzzy, doggy impulses every now and then. Burying bones, for example: I don't even like bones. It just kinda happens. As for my mouth, it has a mind of its own."  
  
"Whatever; I need to wash the dishes anyway," Ivan answered. "Maddie, want to come along? I could use some real company aside from this ranting fleabag."  
  
After laughing at Ivan's joke, Maddie agreed, and together the two of them carried the dishes out of the cave. Houndramon followed, now talking rapidly about bones and his other doggy impulses, still oblivious of the fact that no one cared.  
  
"That's quite the cast of characters," TK commented as the trio left the room, leaving Kari and TK alone in the cave with three unconscious digimon. "It's kinda scary to think that dog-digimon is the one guarding the Digital World when we're not around."  
  
"Yeah," Kari said quietly. Thereafter, in the dearth of their companions, silence crept upon the pair with skillful subtlety. Kari wanted to ask TK something, but was unable to word it in a way she had wanted. As the pause extended, she realized that the silence would only make thought harder. She broke the uneasy silence by asking, "TK, I have a question that I'd like to ask."  
  
"What is it? Is something wrong?" Concern was noticeable in TK's voice as he spoke.  
  
"No, it's just a bit personal," Kari admitted slowly.  
  
"I see," TK said. Truthfully however he was even more confused. He had no idea what she was talking about, but then again could not bear to be rude to his friend, either. "Ask away."  
  
"Alright," She replied uneasily, still not sure exactly how to phrase her question in a way that was polite and made sense. After a brief pause, she continued, "Back when you said you wouldn't leave me, what did you mean?"  
  
"Well, I meant what I said," TK said slowly, not understanding what Kari was getting to. "I'd never leave you as long as I could help it; I always like being with you." He hoped that this would reassure Kari, not sure if he wanted to admit any deeper feelings, even if they were bursting to come out. Not only did his better judgment urge against it, but also he was sure his father and brother would be strongly opposed to his feelings for Kari or any other girl at such a young age.  
  
"Good, 'cause I like being with you," Kari answered him, resting her head on his shoulder. Being locked in the Digital World had roused feelings that were new to Kari. She had the impulse to keep asking questions, although she knew she should stop. Approval of such emotions was something she doubted she would get from her family. In the end, however, her desires won over her morals, and she continued to question TK. "But when you say you like being with me, what do you mean? Do you mean in terms of being just the two of us, or with the rest of the group, like Yolei and Cody?" She excluded Davis from her question, knowing that TK did not like spending time with him.  
  
"This is going a little too far," TK said silently to himself, realizing what Kari was getting at. To make things more difficult, Kari was sending mixed signals. She had brought up this issue time and again as a way to aggravate Davis. "Uh, I guess I like to be with you, regardless of who we're with," he answered, trying to stay as neutral as possible without betraying his own feelings.  
  
Kari thought about what TK had said. She couldn't tell what he meant by it. She tried to think of another question to get an answer she wanted. "Well, we've been friends for over 6 years now, right?"  
  
"Yeah," TK answered with certainty. Facts were easier for him to deal with than analyzing emotions.  
  
"Well, have you ever thought of us as maybe ever being more than friends?" Kari said, using all her willpower to get the words passed the lump in her throat that had materialized a moment ago. Her delivery had slurred together far more than she would have liked. "Say yes, please let him say yes,' Her mind pleaded.  
  
"Err," TK stalled, unsure of how to continue. He had thought of he and Kari as more than friends, it was true. TK didn't want to ruin his relationship with Kari over something so hypothetical, and the growing pressure she applied was making TK nearly forget the warnings of his conscience. Finally, he concluded to stall her again, hoping to get her to give away her motives more. "I don't know. Perhaps, but I've never given it any real thought. Why do you ask?"  
  
Kari felt her chance dissipate almost instantly at his neutral words. "Just wondering," She answered, her voice losing some of its energy as she spoke. A slightly dejected look slid over her eyes.  
  
"Hey, wait," TK leapt to elaborate. "Don't think that this means I don't care about you." TK realized his error. He tried desperately to right it, but he realized that, as he spoke, his mistake could not be repaired. "It's just I've never really had those kinds of feelings for anyone; I'm not sure if I'm even old enough to," TK continued, putting an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"This is way too hard, I don't know what Matt would do if I were to go through with this. And then there's Tai. And even Davis. What about him?" TK's mind raced, completely lost. He refused to let it show however and did what he could to make Kari understand what he knew he felt for her. "You mean more than anyone else to me, Kari, and I truly care about you. But, if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, I'm not sure. At least, not yet." His voice trailed off, feeling that he had let out some of what had been fighting to get out at last.  
  
Kari was still for a moment, transfixed with what she had heard. "Did he leave anything out?" she asked herself, "What does he mean 'not yet?' Why didn't I just tell him outright?" After pondering things for a moment, she slowly pulled away from TK, who regretfully released her.  
  
"No, why'd I say that?" TK's brain shouted at the sudden realization of a second erring. "That's not what I meant. I do love you, Kari. I really do. Oh, why can't I admit it? Great. Now I not only crushed our chance of being together, but I killed our friendship with the same shot. Why doesn't anything ever go the way I hope it will?"

It was too late; Kari wouldn't give him a chance now; he was sure of it. "Next thing I know, I'll see her with Davis at the next school dance." He shuddered at the thought.  
  
"Damn; it didn't work," Ivan sighed silently as he returned with Maddie and Houndramon from the lake. "TK's afraid of what might happen if she doesn't return his feelings, and Kari's in the same position. What I wouldn't give for them to see a mind reader now. That'd let them see the truth. Now they're in a worse position than before. That's the last time I try to play matchmaker." Ivan had previously explained to Maddie that TK and Kari were somehow linked unlike the other Digidestined, or so Azulongmon said. He wanted to try and help show them that link and to get them to admit their feelings, but his plan had backfired. He then thought for a moment before deciding on how to enter and act like he hadn't seen the last few minutes. Maddie and Houndramon waited beside him, curious as to what he was doing but not wanting to disturb him. Ivan decided upon a plan a moment later.  
  
"Jeez, Houndramon, watch it!" Ivan yelled, to alert TK and Kari that he was coming in. "You're gonna make me drop the dishes if you do that again."  
  
TK and Kari quickly moved further apart, returning to their original positions as Ivan entered with a large stack of clean plates and bowls, while Maddie and Houndramon followed.  
  
"Hey, guys," Maddie said cheerily to TK and Kari, taking her seat at the table. "Did you find something interesting to talk about while we were out? Sorry we took so long. We would have been back sooner if Houndramon hadn't splashed us." Maddie said these last words as she fixed Houndramon with a toying glare.  
  
Kari and TK started to become a slight shade of crimson. "Let's just say we had a little catching up to do," TK forced out, sounding slightly guilty and dejected.  
  
"That's good, because I think its time to get to sleep." Ivan said, walking back to the table, picking it up, and folding it down into a tiny square of cardboard. He continued to pack up his traveling equipment as Maddie pitched in and Houndramon continually managed to get in the way. "No naps tomorrow. We're going to have a full day ahead of us and we won't be able to stop if we want to get you guys out of here. Your digimon were up earlier; they're ready to go, but are very tired. They may want to be carried for a little while."  
  
"I want to be carried," Houndramon pleaded.  
  
"Well, lose some weight and I'll consider it." Ivan said with inflection that he never intended to carry the large furry dog under any circumstances.  
  
Houndramon receded to a corner, sulking, as the others finished storing everything in a duffel bag that had been retrieved when Kari was unconscious. It seemed to have an infinite amount of space within it; every implement fit inside.  
  
"Houndramon went and picked this up for us earlier, thinking that it would come in handy with our traveling plans," Ivan explained.  
  
"See, I'm helpful!" Houndramon said perking up.  
  
"It still won't get you a lift," Ivan replied, looking down at the black animal. "Besides, you're gonna need your feet. You're leading us, remember?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, I can't wait," Houndramon said sarcastically. "I'm sure that my paws will just love the strain of a ten mile walk every day." He continued in a softer tone, as if to himself, "Why, oh why did I agree to this?"  
  
"Ignore those two," Maddie said softly to TK and Kari. "They're just trying to keep us entertained. They're not bad at it, but they can get annoying after a while." TK and Kari nodded silently. "Now then!" Maddie continued in a much louder voice, "I think it's time for the little ones to turn in."  
  
"And I suppose 'little ones' refers to anyone who is more than a week younger than you?" Ivan replied incredulously.  
  
"Yep," Maddie said brightly, her eyes sparkling with delight over seeing Ivan complain. She waved her hand at him. "To bed with you."  
  
"Don't plan on staying up all night; you need sleep too," Ivan answered her, grabbing her arm gently. "Come on."  
  
"You don't let me have any authority," Maddie said jokingly.  
  
"Age does not bring maturity," Ivan told her slyly. "Besides, you need your beauty sleep. We don't want you to turn nasty on us."  
  
"You know I never would," Maddie said with a slanted smile.

"I know; I doubt it's possible for you to be, " Ivan said quietly to her, releasing her arm. He then continued, in a louder voice, "Okay, come on; everyone in bed. Yes, that includes me," He added upon seeing Maddie's initial reaction.  
  
"Alright," The room resounded, letting their annoyance and fatigue finally come through.  
  
Ivan helped TK down onto his bed, and then rested Kari on her bed.  
  
"Where are the two of you going to sleep?" TK asked, doing his best to get comfortable on the thin leaf mattress with his aggravated injuries.  
  
"We will be staying right above you," Maddie replied. "We'll be back down before you wake up, and Houndramon will stay down here to protect you. We enjoy a bit of privacy, so Ivan made another cave above here so we could have a separate changing room tomorrow."  
  
"The two beds are all ready," Ivan reported. "Call Madina, if you please."  
  
The two teens recited a short phrase, each with different lyrics, and were subsequently engulfed in bright light. As the light dimmed, the two robotic Dragoons, Madina and Ivani, stood in front of the Digidestined.  
  
"See you all in the morning; make sure to get some sleep," Madina advised as she jumped out the mouth of the cave.  
  
"Sleep tight and don't worry – you are completely safe," Ivani commented as he walked away. He followed Madina out and up to the second cave.  
  
"Those two sure are a strange pair," TK commented, stifling a yawn. "Very queer, but very cute. They kinda remind me of Davis and Yolei."  
  
"Yeah," Kari replied, chuckling at the thought, then becoming homesick about the thought of her friends. "Do you think they've come to look for us?"  
  
"I don't know, Kari," TK admitted. He had been wondering the same thing, but had not wanted to worry her. "Don't dwell on it; everything will be okay. Those two don't look like they're gonna let anyone hurt us and they seem determined to get us back home."  
  
"I hope so," Kari mumbled, getting very sleepy in this horizontal position. "I think I'm gonna turn in, TK; see you in the morning."  
  
"G'night Kari," TK responded, gazing over at her. He longed to hold her hand, but had lost that chance, and now had only the hope of someday rebuilding his friendship with her. "See you in the morning."  
  
Kari drifted back into sleep for the third time that day. She didn't feel ready to take on the challenges that tomorrow would bring, but hoped that her two guardians had been exaggerating the dangers of the mission ahead.

Early the next morning, Kari awoke to the sound of metal clanging against wood. Fearing that it was some sort of alarm, Kari shot up, staring around groggily. Rather than a distress signal, however, Kari found that TK and Ivan were fighting. Ivan, his sword drawn, was deflecting numerous blows from a long wooden pole that TK was flailing, slightly clumsily. As she watched, she saw Ivan giving TK instructions. It was a sparring match. A light tap on her shoulder alerted her once again.  
  
"Morning, Kari!" Maddie's voice came, yelling over the clatter the boys were making. Turning around, Kari saw Maddie had another plate of strange food in her hand, offering it to Kari. "Eat, you'll need your strength today. Oh, yeah, TK wanted to be able to be of some use, so Ivan decided to give him a few lessons. You can never have too many fighters in those woods. The trees there are dense, too, making any large digivolution impossible. We'll be leaving soon, I suggest you eat quickly."  
  
Taking Maddie's advice, Kari ate the unique yet familiar, delicious food quickly with the fencing lesson as entertainment. She only then realized that Gatomon and Patamon were also watching in awe, while Filmaramon, who was in the form of a mouse, rested on Maddie's shoulder. After sharing quick greetings with the former and having Gatomon run around her, Kari turned to Maddie. "Maddie?"  
  
"Yes, Kari?"  
  
"What about TK's legs, I thought they were still weak."  
  
"Exceptional healing rates, even by my standards," Maddie said with an air of astonishment. "Not as lucky for you, I'm sorry to say. That arm will still cause some trouble for a while."  
  
"Just my luck," Kari replied, adding her now empty dish to the small pile.  
  
"Ready for a change of clothes?" Maddie asked, kneeling next to Kari. Kari gave her a quizzical look. "Don't worry, we've got some for you and TK. Didn't you see? He's already changed."  
  
Kari then turned again to observe TK. Everyone, save the digimon, had changed. Maddie now had on a deep crimson T-shirt and black jeans. Her shoes had not changed, nor her hairstyle, but she seemed refreshed. She appeared once again full of energy. Her amulet, orange and red in color with the impressions of the crest of her brother and Sora, mirrored her energy with bright, periodic pulses.  
  
Ivan, on the other hand, looked nearly inverted. He sported a gray shirt, a pair of dark blue cargo pants, and his black fleece was now tied around his waist. His hair had been groomed to some degree, but it fell into disarray as he fought. He still had that same defensive and defiant aura around him. His yellow and pink amulet, emblazoned with the crests of Hope and Light, glowed brightly against his chest as he sparred with the other boy.TK, too, looked refreshed. He presently wore a deep, forest green T-shirt, darkly tinted, beige cargo pants, and a new pair of brown hiking boots on. His hair remained the same, unkempt mess beneath his bucket hat. She remembered with a smirk that he had owned the cap for four years. "I still like him," She thought as she beheld him, striving against his opponent in their mock-battle. "Even if he doesn't like me, I can't help being crazy about him. I hope his mind will change someday. Someday."  
  
"Kari," Maddie called over her shoulder, shaking the younger girl from her daydream. Coming back to the present, she saw that Gatomon and Maddie were now at the cave's entrance and TK and Ivan were resting and talking softly, most likely on how to hone TK's skills. Quickly rising, Kari ran over to the mouth of the cave.

Once she reached the two girls, Maddie pointed up. "All your gear is up there," Maddie informed her.  
  
"And I get up to there how?" Kari asked, looking up at the second hole in the cliff face.  
  
"I believe that Gatomon has that answer," Maddie replied, staring down at the cat-like digimon.  
  
"Oh, right; it's been so long since I've even thought of digivolution," Kari said after thinking for a short while. She moved to retrieve her digivice from her pocket.  
  
"Actually," Gatomon said quickly, stopping Kari, "I was hoping for a more feline transformation, if you catch my drift."

"Ok," Kari said questioningly before it dawned on her. "Oh, jeez, I'm slow this morning. Sorry." She replaced her digivice and got her D-terminal. With the now well-overused phrase: "Digi-Armor Energize!" Gatomon was engulfed in light. When the luminescence passed, it left a fearsome sphinx digimon before Kari. The new creature flew in a loop as it recited its name: "Nefertimon!"  
  
"Welcome back," Kari said, climbing onto her large digimon's back.  
  
"Great to be back," The creature replied, reaching her destination in a few seconds and dropping Kari off at the second level.  
  
"There's a box labeled 'KARI' up there," Maddie shouted up as the large flying cat landed next to her. "It has clothes that should fit. If you need anything, let me know!"  
  
"Got it," She shouted back, moving into the cave. There were four boxes along one wall. The three opened boxes were labeled: "TK," "IVAN," and "MADDIE." The one remaining box, indeed, had her name on it in big bold letters. Opening it, she found quite an interesting wardrobe, all in her size. A few options were available, and she finalized upon a light pink sleeveless shirt with a pair of light blue pants. Although she got the notion from the other three that it would be cool in the forest, sleeves had never been her style. She did, however, get a light green vest for TK. "If I'm lucky, he'll give it to me if I'm cold," she whispered as she pulled the garment from the box. Kari knew her thoughts were selfish and childish, but her emotions won out in the decision. Grabbing two pink gloves made to match the shirt, she went back to the mouth of the upper cave. Calling for Nefertimon, she saw the rest of the group was ready to depart.

"We'll come back on our own for the clothes after you two are safely home," Maddie said when Kari asked about the fate of the remaining clothes. "I doubt any digimon is going to steal articles of clothing that they would have no use for."  
  
"TK, here," Kari said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible and handing him the vest. "It seems like this is going to be a cold trip; the others have coats so I thought you could use one, too,"

"Thanks, Kari, but what about you?" TK said, concern in his voice, as he threw the vest on.  
  
"Oh, I'll be fine; I never was one for sleeves," she said in return, saving her true reason for later.  
  
"Uh, guys?" came a voice. Both turned quickly to see their six companions a good distance towards the forest. "Are you coming, or are we just going on a pleasure hike, here?" Ivan called.  
  
"Yes, we're coming!" Kari called back, dashing off to them, TK following quickly behind. It crossed her mind then, as she ran, that the two dragoons created a strong frame around the edge of the woods in the distance.  
  
"Alright, equipment check:" Ivan said to the group. "Camp and cooking materials, check. Sword, check. Amulet, check. TK's got his staff, his D- terminal, and D3, correct?"  
  
"All present and accounted for," TK replied, twirling his staff once in place.  
  
"Maddie has our medical supplies, her amulet, and her gauntlet, right?"  
  
"Indeed I do," She said, securing a red and gold gauntlet on her right arm.  
  
"And Kari has her D-terminal, her D3, and is to watch our little digimon, save Houndramon, who will be leading," Ivan concluded.  
  
"Fair enough," she said, tapping her pockets to reassure herself that she had her D-terminal and D3. Not knowing what help she could provide, she was surprised that she had been assigned a job, but understood that everyone must pull his or her own weight for the journey.  
  
"All right, anything I forgot? All digimon are present, the caves are emptied of all necessary equipment – let's go!" Ivan decided, brandishing his sword. "Onward!"  
  
"And they call me eccentric," Maddie whispered to Kari, causing the latter girl to giggle and nod in response. She then remembered that a question had cropped up during their item check.  
  
"Maddie, what does that gauntlet do?" Kari asked.  
  
"It's a magical gauntlet that is the center of my offensive spectrum," Maddie informed the younger girl. "I choose not to fight in melee combat and although a bow was an idea, I've always felt awkward holding one. Therefore, I decided to try magic. It has worked like a charm. A stave would be the normal device issued to augment spell casting, but I found no affinity with any offered to me. Kilvaramon then decided on this gauntlet, which has power equivalent to that of an enchanted staff and isn't the least bit cumbersome for me to wield. Its elemental basis, as the color suggests, is fire, but I do have the ability to cast other spells of different elements."

"You mean that you're a real live wizard?" Kari asked in awe.

"In a way, yes. I have little power without a stave and I can't pull rabbits out of hats. I only manipulate the elements of nature, using them to my aid. It is this ability that also lends power to my healing techniques."  
  
"Interesting." Kari said, lost for words. The dragoons, it seemed, were very well equipped for battle, even if they themselves felt little need for such fighting.  
  
With Houndramon rounding to the lead and Ivan at his flank, the troop of companions set off from the cliff face and down into the forest's edge, which was several miles across. Their true journey had now begun. Only one of the eight would ever return to those caves; the other seven now had other fates locked into place.

"Well, it is indeed a good day to start off on: the sun's shining, a few digital creatures are scampering around, only a few clouds in the sky; I apologize for jinxing the rest of our journey through this jungle, but it seemed a point that needed to be made." Ivan's statement was mirrored in the minds of everyone behind him. It was truly a beautiful day – perfect weather conditions. They also felt that, as Ivan had said, they were very unlikely to have such luck through their entire journey.  
  
Houndramon, however, knew that their luck was to be short-lived. "The path's changing," The dog stated a few moments later with abrupt severity. "Get close, this feels like a big one."  
  
He was right. The dirt path that they had been following, seemingly by its own accord, slowly started to turn. Each grain of sand and earth started to roll, acting as if it were picked up by the wind. The dirt stayed together, moving as a single mass as far ahead of them as they could see. As the dirt neared a tree, the dirt parted, swerving around the obstruction, and then rejoined. While the two elder children and their digital companions seemed unimpressed, Kari and TK were astounded. Mouths agape, they watched as the path continued to move.

It halted after turning about forty degrees. "There's a nice big delay. A good two miles have just been added if the path doesn't decide to turn again. If it does, that could be good or bad, depending on its direction. This, however, leads us away from the river. Ivan, make the call."  
  
"What call?" The brown-haired boy asked.  
  
"We can either continue down this path, hoping that our luck changes and that we get back near the river soon, or you get that sword of yours out and carve a path for us," Houndramon told him.  
  
"I see." Ivan said simply, and looked down to ponder for a minute. The path would be easier to traverse, but could lead them too far off course, possibly to their death. The off-road path would be more difficult and would remove their hope of avoiding ambush by any creatures. Pitfalls and other obstacles were much more common among the trees than on the normal path, too. However, he felt that emphasis should not be placed on luck, but rather on his own abilities. Drawing his sword, he called to the rest of the group. "This may lead to more physical harm, but I feel that such is less likely to end us than following a path that leads from the river, our only source of water."  
  
The group nodded in response. None wanted to die of dehydration. They pulled together a bit, straightening into more of a line than before. Ivan, now in front of Houndramon, brought his weapon down with a grunt upon the branches before him. Working forwards, he started to cleave through the low- lying branches and underbrush with his long blade. The crude path he cut was only a few feet across and about twice as tall, but sufficient for all of his comrades to fit through. Most startling to Kari was that the path disappeared behind them. The trees regrew the chopped limbs a minute or two after losing them. She remembered Houndramon's words, "Those are no ordinary trees." The phrase now made sense.  
  
Behind the impromptu guides Ivan and Houndramon, Maddie strolled along slowly. She was whistling a jubilant tune. Looking as though she had no cares in the world, she petted Filmaramon on her shoulder with the opposite hand. Always having a great love for the wilderness, she felt safe – at home. Her only concerns lay upon the darker, less inhabited part of the forest that they had yet to encounter. They had refrained from mentioning that the forest was divided roughly into two levels. The outer ring, several miles thick on all sides, and that which they were presently in, was fairly safe and held few unknown dangers. The large center of this ring, spanning about forty miles in diameter, was different. That was where all of their hardships would come, and all of their skills would be put to the test. Maddie, however, refused to let such things bother her, making the most of the relaxing time that she had.  
  
Following close behind her was Gatomon. Her thoughts were on the future at the time, curious about what was to happen next. It was her first time ever entering this forest, to the best of her recollection. She and Patamon had not been giving a briefing on their journey as Kari and TK had. They hadn't been awake long enough to get one, not to mention that they lacked the mental capabilities to care for one. She would take events as they came, not needing any forewarning. All digimon that she had ever faced had given themselves away long before attacking, so she would be digivolved and ready to fight before they reached Kari. Therefore she worried not of the danger, but of her partner's condition. Kari had been distant lately, and her attitude was making Gatomon uneasy. Something in the back of her head wanted to find out what was wrong with Kari, but she did not want to disturb her friend. She also knew that she would learn what she needed to know in due time. Doing her best to mimic Maddie, Gatomon tried to forget her cares and to enjoy their lush surroundings.  
  
TK, with Patamon perched upon his head, walked a bit behind the small cat digimon and in front of Kari. Patamon had fallen asleep a while back, missing the path movement, but was otherwise the same as always. TK was using his staff as a walking stick, the long, uneven ground of some two or three miles making his legs ache from their recent injuries. He struggled on, doing his best to act strong in front of Kari. "I have to make her care about me again, I have to make her see that I made a mistake. Please, Kari, see that I'm sorry, I really am." TK, lost in his silent speech, hit his head into one particularly low hanging branch. The collision sent Patamon over the branch and into Gatomon. Kari, startled, quickly caught TK and checked his forehead.  
  
"Are you OK? You're going to knock yourself unconscious doing that." Feeling no injuries on TK's forehead, she righted him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm good. I was just a little too lost in thought to check where I'm going. Thanks, Kari." TK's last words came with much more feeling and meaning, but he was cut off from continuing by Gatomon's cry.  
  
"Watch it, Patamon! What happened? I thought you were with TK." The cat- digimon said gruffly.  
  
"I was, but I think he hit something," Patamon replied, looking around sleepily for TK. "Sorry." Patamon took flight with his droopy wings, landing roughly on TK's head. "Can you watch the path next time? I really would like to get some sleep, I kept waking up last night."  
  
"Sorry, Patamon; it won't happen again," TK assured his friend. TK continued to speak, but only to himself: "Great, now I've done it. Not only does she not love me now, she thinks I'm a clumsy daydreamer. It just keeps getting worse." Doing his best to hide his pouting, TK turned to start off again, only to run into another branch. This time he only hit it lightly, causing only a sudden shock. All of the branches, TK noted as he looked about him, had now recuperated from Ivan's severing sword, leaving the four in a jail of wood.  
  
"Uh, this isn't good, is it?" Kari's scared and concerned voice echoed in their small prison.  
  
"Let me take a shot at this," a confident Gatomon said, baring her claws. In a flurry of fists, the cat digimon cleared a small, partially complete path a few feet forward. Her claws being shorter and less powerful than Ivan's sword, the work was slow and less effective. A few branches were left hanging. After a few minutes, they came upon Ivan, Houndramon, Maddie, and Filmaramon.  
  
"There you are," Ivan said, relieved. "Don't go wandering off, this forest is too dangerous to get separated in. Maddie, would you mind taking the rear to make sure that we are all together?"  
  
"No problem," Maddie replied, "but I don't think we'll need to have a back for long, I saw something up ahead."  
  
Another hundred paces revealed Maddie's point. A gorge two hundred feet deep and half as wide cut across their path. "Joyous; what fun this shall be to scale," Houndramon said with as much sarcasm as possible, staring down to the bottom of the gorge. There were no obvious crossings anywhere nearby, and no tree in the nearby forest could cover the distance, the dog observed. "Any ideas? No rope, no magic flight, no bridge, no big ladders or trees." He trailed off.  
  
"Could one of Ivani's shields work as a path?" TK asked, looking to Ivan for advice.  
  
"I doubt it, but I spy a path across. Even now it is being used." Ivan stared up the gorge, watching something that none of the others could see. His eyes hardened, losing their friendly glow. One who met him in his current state would have found him dangerous, intimidating, and very threatening. Houndramon, meanwhile, smelt the invaders.  
  
"Why are they so far out? This is bad, very bad. There too?" Houndramon looked around wildly, fear in his eyes and his claws grinding into the ground. He then noticed that Ivan had no intention of running, and took on a similar stance. He came to the forefront on Ivan's right. Ivan gave his sword a single spin before quickly swiping through the air. The shriek of metal impacting metal rang.  
  
A small blade, hilt now separated from it, glinted in the sun at Ivan's feet. Staring up and horrified from the projectile that had come so close to her, Kari saw vague blurs in the space before them. Slowly, each disturbance fizzled and warped in and out of focus. Their assailants then faded into view. Four tall, robotic men stood before them. They had no outer coverings, looking like gaunt, wiry skeletons of metal. Nonetheless, the machines wielded an air of disaster about them. Three of the androids held a long sword in their hands. Meanwhile the fourth and foremost carried a dagger identical to the shattered one on the ground in his left hand and a flamberge in his right hand. These were stealth drones.  
  
"On your ready, Houndramon," Ivan whispered to the dog standing behind him. The drones had made an effective pincer attack, with the thick and tangled forest on one side and the sheer cliff on the other. Combat was inevitable.  
  
With a roar comparable to that of Garurumon, Houndramon lunged the rightmost of their oppressors, rending its right arm from the body. Simultaneously, Ivan rolled under the dagger thrown from the leader and drove upward upon its leftmost ally with a quick and effective stroke. The assaulted drone, unprepared, suffered critical damage and fell limp upon the boy's blade. Hoisting up the inactive drone like a shield, Ivan deflected the leader's sword with its comrade's body. A quick back-flip gave Ivan the opportunity to kick the downed drone with full force from his sword, as well as an escape from the leader's next offense. To Ivan's slight surprise the leader didn't dodge its companion. Knocking into one another, the drones nearly fell off the cliff. Taking the free moment to move into a more defensive position of his allies, Ivan readied for the commander's counter.  
  
Houndramon, however, was not so lucky. Although one of his enemies was now somewhat disabled, they were both very quick and accurate with their swords. Normally this would not be much of a threat, but he had little room in which to use his best skill, that of agility, with a cliff and dense forest hemming him in. His fur gave him some protection, but Houndramon was not immune to the opponents' swords and was therefore cut multiple times. One particularly painful attack came across his right shoulder and left a long gash. He then realized that a large red flame had appeared and, jumping to avoid getting scorched, saw Maddie release a fiery inferno upon the drones. The result caused the swords of the drones to soften and the drones' bodies to melt from the quick yet intense exposure. Landing on the edge of the cliff was not Houndramon's smartest move, however, for the ground gave way on impact from his leap. Lightning reflexes were Houndramon's only save from a distant fall. With renewed vigor, he tore through at his now partially melted opponents, rending limbs with his claws and teeth in frenzy. When he landed next to a tree, little was left of the once stealthy and deadly assailants.  
  
The drone commander was now enraged at the loss of his minion. Severing the link to its master, it charged at the one it determined most dangerous, the figure registering on the blue spectrum. Thrusting its fallen ally aside, it moved quickly and cautiously to engage its opponent. Unknown to it, its other colleagues were now smoldering wrecks.  
  
Ivan, having recovered and gained a restful breath as his enemy faltered, was ready to fend off the drone's charge. But upon the initial clash of metal, Ivan's opponent put great strength into his curved blade. Ivan was strong for someone his age, but such a mechanical demon had much greater power. He was forced back roughly. Parrying the drone's second swipe and rolling to the side, Ivan made a hard swipe at its legs. His blade was knocked from his hand. Ivan cursed under his breath. He knew these machines were incredibly fast, that there was no way to catch the leader off guard. Now he faced the challenge unarmed, something that was not in Ivan's best interest. Or, it would have been if he were not a dragoon.  
  
Ivan quickly jumped back to avoid a thrust, trying to find a way to stop his threat. He bumped into a tree. He paused, reaching behind himself and pressing his palms into the bark. A plan formulated rapidly in his mind. Readying himself, he watched his opponent prepare to strike the final blow, a sideswipe through Ivan's neck. Looking at the green glowing bar that resided on the drone where a person's eyes would normally be, Ivan gave a smirk. He could feel the drone's sense of victory over its unarmed adversary.  
  
Had the drone thrust with its vile sword instead, or had it not put so much strength into its close attack, it might have been able to recover more quickly. But it had not done these things and when Ivan jumped to the side, the drone was left with its sword embedded deep into a tree. Worse still, Ivan then continued with a hard kick to its back, jostling the drone's energy capacitors. One of the wires being severed in the process, control of the right arm was suddenly lost.  
  
His opponent temporarily incapacitated, Ivan made a dive for his sword. He grabbed it in mid-roll as he passed over it, and then rounded on his target. The drone had recovered and was in the process of freeing its cruel flamberge from the massive tree. Then the drone underwent repeated strikes against its one functioning arm. Its head rotated in place to see another boy, wearing dark green clothing and wielding a great battle staff, beating against it. Dropping its grip on the sword, the drone aggressively sent a fist at TK.  
  
TK surprised even himself with the luck of his dodge, and then countered by throwing his staff like a javelin straight at the drone leader's head. With amazing force, the staff collided with the ocular systems housed within the head. The former threat was now a distraught and vengeful mass of faltering mechanics, charging wildly at TK. Charging, that is, until a clean swipe through its middle cleft the upper and lower body, and two successive strikes sent the upper body, appendages and all, flying down the gorge and knocked the legs to the ground. Ivan performed one more spin and threw his free hand down into the dirt to slow his body as he recovered from his spiraling attack. His sword held lightly in his left hand, Ivan stared at the ground for a moment and let out a sigh of relief. Ivan's normal, friendly demeanor slowly descended back upon the boy as he stood up straight.  
  
"Not bad, TK, not bad," Ivan congratulated the younger boy, walking over to the blond-haired boy.

"Thanks," TK said, doing his best to calm down after the adrenaline rush he got from battle. "You weren't too bad yourself."  
  
"True enough," Ivan said, kindly accepting TK's jest. "I think that we fared better than our friends on the other side," Turning his attention to Maddie and Houndramon, he ran over to his digimon friend. "Hey, you alright?" He asked of the furry companion, who was now partially limping.  
  
"I've been better," Houndramon answered, trying to sound normal and not let the sharp pains resonating through him become too noticeable. "Damn drone had to get me across the shoulder. I'll be back to normal in a bit; don't worry about that. Let's just try to keep to open areas next go round, okay?"  
  
"I'll do my best," Ivan replied with a shake of his head, kneeling down and giving the dog a few pats on the head. "Is everyone else okay?" he asked, looking up at the two girls.  
  
"Just shaken, nothing too bad," Maddie told him, checking over the digimon and Kari. "Would have been much worse if that second dagger hadn't hit the tree before TK. But all's well; no one is hurt, save you three fearless warriors." The mocking tone in Maddie's last words were not accepted well by any of the three referred to, but was a good laugh for the other four and herself. It was further enhanced by the annoyed and flustered looks on Ivan, TK, and Houndramon's faces.  
  
"Alright," Ivan said loudly, hoping to rally the group. "We have gotten passed obstacle number one, but we may not have such luck next time. We have lost more than half the day, and have only come a few miles. To keep on average, six more miles must be covered. But, lunch would be an acceptable option now, too. Fighting does take energy. I see a pleasant clearing over there, on the other side of this ditch, so crossing should be our next goal." With this conclusion, he turned and dashed off along the edge of the cliff edge. Halting a few hundred feet further away, he hailed the group and gathered up some surrounding dirt and soil. Throwing it into the fault, he observed it carefully. Repeating this action a few times, he was satisfied and again hailed his friends. They remained firmly in place, watching him as if he were insane.  
  
"Come on," Ivan called, doing his best to reassure them. "I found the bridge, it's right here! Don't worry; I'm still sane. Just get down here." Houndramon slowly trotted to him, followed by Maddie, TK, and soon the entire group.  
  
"Ok, we're down here; how do we cross?" Houndramon asked doubtfully, eyeing the large gap.  
  
"Simple, just follow me," Ivan said confidently in reply. Turning to face the gorge, he then stepped forward and dropped down. Dropped, that is, until his foot hit what looked like normal air. "It's a bridge, but someone put a stealth device on it at the opposite side. I noticed a slight disturbance in the air here earlier. That's how I knew the drones were coming. Now, would you like to make the 'walk of faith,' or wait until I deactivate the stealth device?"

No one moved.

"Cowards," Ivan muttered, turning again and walking carefully forward. The bits of dirt that Ivan had thrown were also suspended on the bridge and acted as guides for him to cross by. Cautiously, he made his way across. Then, on the opposite side, he drew his sword and sliced down into a tree stump. The stump sparked wildly at the open incision made, and then gave out. Its facade crumpled to the ground, revealing a small metallic device with wires attached to the now-revealed bridge. The group cheered and crossed over the gorge, joining Ivan at the small clearing adjacent to the bridge.

"Things are rarely what they appear to be in this world," Ivan reminded the others. "Now that we're all safely across," he went on, "I believe that replenishing our energy is next on our 'to do' list." The statement was met with the most joyful applause of the day.

"I'm sorry it's not my best meal, but quick movement means quick cooking," Ivan said sheepishly to the rest of the crew, none of whom had enjoyed their midday meal as much as they had hoped. "Dinner will be better, though, count on that." The prospect of more, hopefully decent tasting food brought back morale. "In any case, I believe that we should strike out now, before all hope of covering decent ground is lost." Grudgingly, the others complied, packing up what little they had unpacked and readying for another long hike.  
  
The trees around them were much less dense, more like a true forest rather than the jungle-like vegetation that made the barrier around the elliptical forest. Still without a path, navigation was based on the river that ran lengthwise alongside them. Ivan's sword was of no use, with nothing impeding their movement save a few dense clumps of trees. Another noticeable change in surroundings was that these trees were more in alignment with Earth evergreen trees, rather than the supernatural deciduous trees they encountered earlier. Without the movement difficulty, and with food in their stomachs, the squadron covered distance at nearly double pace: Houndramon set the pace, surprisingly, since he had already recovered enough to resume his job as navigation officer. He trotted along with his nose to the ground.  
  
However, as though planned by more powerful forces, their luck did not last. The trees became more and more common while the few small digimon that had been watching them from afar were now gone. Ivan knew that they had nearly passed through the outer ring and would be entering the central oval soon. Once again removing his sword from its sheath, he prepared to chop through more trees.  
  
But trees were not the next obstacles, for now they were still thin. Rather, new things were appearing. Large rocks and boulders formed small hills and blockades, making the group scale the obstructions rather than hack through them. Maddie gave Kari and TK a hand when climbing over some sheer surfaces, being the closest thing to an expert rock climber. Meanwhile Ivan did his best to make it as easy to traverse as possible, forcing certain rocks out of the way and thus causing those on top to fall down. Greatly impeded, the platoon of people and digimon worked for about two hours to cover a mile through the grand rock sculptures. Their efforts were not in vain, for they soon came once again to forested land.  
  
Tired, Ivan noted the sun lowering in the sky. A camp would be necessary soon, he knew. He decided that the next clearing should work. The trees were still not too dense, so a clearing was likely to come along soon. He scanned the surrounding vegetation for suitable food sources. His gaze came to a very large evergreen tree, nearly twice as tall as the average trees around it. Not only was the tree tall, but also it was abnormally stout. A growl sounded from beside Ivan. Looking down, he saw Houndramon baring his fangs at the large tree, growling through his teeth.  
  
"Houndramon?" Ivan asked hesitantly, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Transform," Houndramon said gruffly, slowly sidestepping around the tree. "He's clever, but I can smell him. Show yourself!"  
  
Ivan, now understanding their plight, converted into Ivani Light flashed and surrounded his body in seamless armor. He and raised his left arm. "Ivani Cannon!" he called, releasing his mighty barrage of energy blades. Upon connecting with the large tree, the bark tore off in sheets, revealing mechanical instruments. The tree then came to life and turned on its assailant, revealing its face and four large, clubbed arms that improvised as branches. Aiming carefully, the now-exposed robot fired its arms like rockets on strings. Evading three of the attacks, the fourth connected hard with Ivani's right shoulder. A surge of pain went through the pilot. Still he held his ground, giving a thankful prayer for Ivani's armor plating.  
  
"Run, get out of here!" Houndramon yelled to TK, Kari, and their digimon before dashing at the tree and fiercely clawing into its rear plating. The other four heeded his call, while Maddie ran across the battlefield to a tree on the far side of the fight. Filmaramon, converting into a spinning saw blade, shot through the gargantuan robot and left a long, thin hole through its interior. Their opponent, however, gave no sign of taking significant damage.  
  
Flailing at its oppressors, the huge machine was lucky enough to hit Filmaramon into a tree, but she had been prepared. She became a spring, and then a hilt-less sword as she flew back through the enemy. Houndramon dodged above and below the many swinging attacks of the branches, but was unable to counter with an attack of his own. Ivani had drawn his iridescent sword and was now doing his best to distract the robot while watching Maddie out of the corner of his eye. She had a plan, he knew; her squinting expression gave it away.  
  
Maddie then waved her arms to Ivani. He nodded, and then dove through the robot, hewing one of the robot's arms as he passed. He took up a defensive position between the two Digidestined and the robot as he waited. Houndramon saw the sudden movement and followed Ivan's lead as Filmaramon doubled back and shot herself once again at the enemy, this time as a spinning axe. Upon completing her third pass, she hit a tree, but made no effort to revert for a fourth attack. She knew Maddie was preparing to attack. With the area free of her friends, Maddie made her move.  
  
Darting out from behind a tree, Maddie let loose an incredible wave of fire, her gauntlet acting as the focal point for her energies. Its remaining imitation foliage quickly caught on fire and added to the blaze. It was fully engulfed – a pyre of robotics. Emitting a mechanical shriek, the burning robot swung madly with its three remaining arms, one of which drove directly at the evoker of the fire. 


	5. Honest Questions

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 4- Honest Questions  
  
A piercing scream broke through the woods, alerting hundreds of creatures in the forest of danger and sending them scampering around wildly.  
  
The next few minutes passed in a blur to Ivan. First, the large robotic fiend went up in flames from the spell Maddie cast. The robot's imitation pine needles acted as kindling to the flame. The monster flailed about, and just happened to get lucky, swinging one of its heavy branch-arms straight into Maddie. The offending limb smashed into her side. Maddie was flung several feet back before slamming into the ground and rolling to a halt. She made no movement, jolting Ivan's heart with a sudden forceful surge of emotion.  
  
The mechanical giant fell shortly afterwards, largely due to the damage from the fire. In an instant, Ivani had flown over to Maddie's still form, followed by Houndramon. Filmaramon, after dislodging herself from the tree, also moved quickly to Maddie's side. The rest were shocked into silence and paralysis. Ivani disengaged, leaving Ivan next to the one other person in the world that he'd bonded with. Collapsing to his knees, He carefully rolled Maddie onto her back. The sight was gruesome. Doing his best to endure the sight, he scanned the girl's body for injuries.  
  
Maddie's left hipbone was fractured in multiple places. Her body had many cuts and bruises, mostly due to her getting tossed across the rough earth. She was slowly losing blood, which caused the grass beneath her to stain red and become matted. However, Ivan could feel a faint pulse on her wrist and, when he put his cheek next to her mouth, he was able to detect a silent, shallow breath. Maddie was still alive, but without help, she would soon leave her body for good. As if mirroring the urgency of help, the amulet around her neck pulsed with its red light urgently and insistently. The resulting light emitted was barely visible.  
  
Ivan was lost. He'd always been relaxed and focused when someone was hurt, knowing that Maddie would be there to help. Now, it was Maddie that was hurt, and this was one of the worst injuries he'd had the misfortune to witness. There were no paramedics to help here. Maddie, too, was unable to help.  
  
A knot appeared in his stomach as he watched his dying friend helplessly. He felt like lying down and dying there with her, for without her, his purpose for living was all but nothing. The Digital World, the other dragoons, TK and Kari – none of them mattered to him now. His whole focus was on Maddie, although he had no idea of how to help her.  
  
Staring blankly at Maddie's still form, Ivan's mind began to wander against his will. Everyone important seemed to be taken from him: his parents, his friends, and now the only other person he had cared about in his life. Unable to stop them any longer, Ivan let his tears come silently, splashing down his face onto the reddened grass. He looked away from Maddie, unwilling to let her or anyone else see him this way.  
  
Filmaramon looked on in terror and dismay. She had spent years with Maddie, but she never thought of such serious injury coming to her. Now the impossible had occurred. Having no medical experience, she had no idea on how to help her. Transformations ran through her mind, but they became progressively less useful. Stuck in a mire of helplessness and guilt, Filmaramon could do nothing but watch and hope. She slowly sank into a dreary puddle on the grass, sulking in her transmuted pit of despair.  
  
Houndramon, seeing his friends in such horrible states of uselessness, decided to take charge. He may not have had such a close connection to Maddie as the other two, but he'd be damned if he didn't do everything he could to save her. He knew that she would have done the same for him.

"All right, enough weeping you two," Houndramon barked sharply at Ivan and Filmaramon. "We're going to save her if it's the least thing we do, so get up and get moving. The only way to get out of your ruts is to _do something_!"  
  
Motivational words were rare from Houndramon and they had exactly the effect he wanted. Thrown from their dismay, Ivan and Filmaramon looked at Houndramon with surprised faces. Realizing the truth in his words, Ivan rose and Filmaramon again ran through possible transformations. "Ivan, get those other four to do something helpful, like find a camping spot," Houndramon ordered to the human. Ivan dashed off in the direction of the other members of the group as Houndramon rounded on Filmaramon. "Filmaramon, try a stretcher." Filmaramon had just realized the idea as Houndramon spoke, and was transformed in an instant.  
  
A moment later, TK and Ivan ran back together. "Kari and the other digimon are going to find a camp site," Ivan said breathlessly to the dog-digimon. TK looked away from the sight of Maddie. The girl he'd once thought of as a beautiful, kind person, now lay helplessly on the ground, taking in what would be her last breaths if something were not done immediately. After taking a moment to steel himself against the horrible sight, He went to Ivan's aid.  
  
Noticing the stretcher, they quickly moved to opposite ends of Maddie. With extreme care to not jostle the girl, the two boys delicately placed her on the stretcher. Houndramon barked once at seeing progress and led the two boys, rolling the stretcher as smoothly as possible across the bumpy ground, towards where Kari was hailing them. They were led around the large heap of robotic scrap metal. Ivan resisted the urge to reduce it to bits with his blade for causing so much pain to his friend. Instead, he tried to move faster towards their new camping site.  
  
Kari had the same reaction as TK on seeing Maddie's condition. Looking away, she tried not to show too much of her fear for the other girl's life. It was apparent that spirits were already low. She didn't want to hinder the already failing morale. She, too, forced herself to endure the sight and turned around slowly. Keeping her gaze upwards, she found that it would not be too difficult to talk to the others face-to-face.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Kari asked, wording the thoughts of the others. Houndramon was, once again, the first to speak.  
  
"Stay here," He said, turning away. "I have an idea. Won't take a moment." With his last words, he dashed off in the direction they came from.  
  
"Great, now we're short a person," Ivan said, subdued. "Well, I guess we have to start somewhere. The question is, where?"  
  
"Well, what's damaged, exactly?" TK asked, thinking of how to best care for someone in such dire injury. He could only hope that the dangers of the forest didn't get worse while they were working.  
  
"I can feel that her left hip is broken, but it looks like she only has numerous cuts and bruises beyond that," Ivan informed the other two, again lightly running his fingers over Maddie's damaged side. "She's lost a lot of blood already, though, and I think that stopping the loss is where we should start."  
  
"Couldn't agree more," a growling voice said at Ivan's feet. Looking down, he saw Houndramon with the large black duffel bag. Ivan had forgotten that it was left back where they had first spied the demon tree. "I thought this could help. Some of the rags and clothes in here could act as temporary bandages."  
  
"Always thinking," Ivan said gratefully to Houndramon as he leaned over to get supplies from the bag. Thoughts came to him clearly once again, no longer concealed by the fog of despair. His courage and hope returning, he resumed his role as commander. He issued out orders to the rest of the group. "Gatomon, Patamon, take these and fill them with water," he called, tossing two buckets from the bag to them. They took off immediately, glad to finally be of use. "TK, you and Kari get a fire started. Collect a large amount of kindling from the dead pine needles on the ground and get a bunch of larger sticks and branches from over there," he indicated a tree that had died some time ago, lying a dozen yards to their right. "Take these," he added, handing TK a serrated blade and a lighter. "Use the knife to get any good branches still attached to the tree, and that lighter should be sufficient to ignite the kindling." Having finished his order to them, he waved his hand dismissively and the two ran off towards the downed tree. "Houndramon, I'm going to need some help with this; I need you to shred these rags here into smaller strips that will be easier to apply in tight places, such as between her fingers." Houndramon set off in earnest, carefully separating the rags with a single claw. He had soon compiled a few dozen long, thin strips of the absorbent cloth in front of him.  
  
Ivan now faced a dilemma. Many of the rocks that Maddie had hit in her roll had ripped her shirt as well as her skin. He knew that to properly treat the cuts, he would have to remove her shirt, but he had a deep feeling of guilt at doing so. Maddie was, after all, female, no matter how much she tried to be tough and masculine. Hoping that she would forgive him, Ivan pulled the hem of her shirt up over her head. He then disentangled her arms from the bloody fabric. He hoped that the pulse of red light was meant as a forgiving signal for his actions. Thankful for Maddie's undergarments, he discarded the torn shirt and stared down at the proud dog that held a strip of cloth in his mouth for Ivan to use.  
  
Gatomon and Patamon slowly returned, greatly weighed down by the large buckets of water they carried. A fire sprang to life a few feet away. The light cast flickering shadows across the faces of the two proud creators. Ivan told the digimon to place the buckets over the fire to sterilize it. He then moved the stretcher-digimon carrying Maddie over to the fire, lowering the bed portion down until it was resting directly on top of the wheels.  
  
TK had to once again look away, this time not for fear, but out of embarrassment. He contented himself by watching the water with great interest. Kari, too, was surprised. She however was not to be deterred by such things, being of the same gender as Maddie. She took a full rag from the duffel bag, submersed it in the water, and then handed it to Ivan to clean the blood from Maddie's body.  
  
After cleaning her body, Maddie looked very much like she had that morning. The blood, it seemed, had made the injuries look much more serious than they were. Next, Ivan took some of the strips from Houndramon, sterilized them in the heated water, and then gingerly wrapped them around any significant cuts Maddie had suffered.  
  
A few moments later, Maddie was efficiently bandaged. Ivan retrieved a new, white shirt from the duffel bag and raised Maddie up, sliding the shirt over her head. Once again fully clothed, she now only held the broken hipbone as a substantial danger to her life. This wound, unlike those that the Digidestined had suffered, was not open. Instead, it was an internal fracture and Ivan could not reach it to set it without cutting Maddie open on her side, something he surely did not want to do. He also knew that blood vessels would certainly have been opened at the place of impact; although they couldn't see it, Maddie was still losing blood. Pressing his hand against the girl's hip, Ivan could feel the tissue swelling in comparison to her other side, confirming his suspicion. Fear and despair slowly crept back over his mind as he tried to fight it off and come up with a solution before time ran out.  
  
Maddie's amulet was still pulsing weakly, although it was somewhat stronger than it had been an hour ago. This pulse, as well as that given from his own amulet, was all that held back the approaching fog in his mind – beacons of safety. His amulet was giving off great light by now, for it always gained strength when he acted on the behalf of others. The warmth and light of his amulet aroused an idea in Ivan's head.  
  
Now sitting beside the stretcher, he drifted into thought. Only half thinking about it, the boy reached up and took a hold of Maddie's limp hand in his. In what appeared to be a valiant effort, Ivan's amulet gave an intense burst of light. Instantly, the fog and fear was thrown from his mind. The key to initiating his plan was clear to him. Grasping Maddie's hand firmly with both of his own, he recited a long phrase in a language none present could understand. Ivan himself only knew the statement because of Azulongmon: it was his verse. It sounded like this:  
  
"Rani qui Japa, wran ti Wainte onve fua.

Ti scaulpe heirwal grux gi fua, loj fuan wal I wentram luar.

I duentu fuan quintamia ro ti roct ol jqu baalamia.

Rani qui Japa, wran ti Wainte onve fua."  
  
When the first words left Ivan's mouth, his hands began to glow with a faint green light. As the second line was recited, the light's intensity and size increased, now swirling up and around his arms in a snakelike pattern. The third line passed his lips and the light was strong enough to make the others present look away. Houndramon alone caught on to what was happening as the last words came, but he was too late to stop his friend. He could tell the sacrifice was coming, but was unable to stop it.  
  
The light around Ivan, now completely engulfing him, seemed to rise from his body and flow into Maddie through the connection at their hands. Maddie's body surged, moving violently on the stretcher as the green energy entered her. With unnatural speed, Maddie's cuts were closed and her bruises faded. Soon, she was void of external damage and her amulet glowed brightly around her neck. Ivan, however, slumped to the ground, eyes closed. His amulet gave off one final faint pulse of white light before going completely dead.

A low, mournful howl rose up from the small camp in the woods.  
  
Houndramon ceased after a few moments, and once again cast his head downward, watching his immobile friend lie in the grass, still holding Maddie's hand. The past events were still embedded clearly in the dog's mind, and he was unable to think straight anymore. The sacrifice Ivan had made for Maddie was not the first time he had done so, but the magnitude was far greater this time. But even this was not enough to fully restore Maddie, the boost of energy only lasting a short time. Now, both lay quietly, neither having enough life force to sustain him nor her. The only evidence that they were still clinging to life came from their shallow breathing and the periodic faint glow and fade of the amulets about their necks.  
  
Filmaramon had since transformed into her natural state, slowly putting Maddie to rest on the soft pine needles covering the ground. She fell asleep next to the fire, exhausted from sustaining the weight of Maddie for so long. Her fears were great, but she sensed that Maddie was better and was soon able to drift into an uneasy sleep.  
  
The others, however exhausted they were, found that they were needed to save their guardians. "As Mimi once said," Kari quoted, kneeling between the two, "'our parents have always been there for us. Now it's our turn to come through for them.' They may not be our parents, but we still owe it to them to at least try and save them."  
  
"There's got to be something we can do," TK added as he followed Kari to the two prone figures. "Houndramon, help us. You're the veteran here; what can we do to save them?"  
  
"I've been asking myself the same question," the digimon answered, looking up. "Besides making the same sacrifices, there is nothing that comes to mind. Reviving someone is very difficult, and something that we have never been subjected to. But I agree; there must be an answer somewhere. The question is, can we find it in time?"  
  
"We'll never know if we sit here talking," Kari groaned impatiently. "Come on, people, and let's think of something. Let's start with what exactly happened. What did Ivan do, Houndramon?"  
  
"Well, I only know so much, but I'll tell you everything I can," Houndramon assured her, again gazing at the two unconscious bodies beside him. "The Digital Language holds many secrets, most of which are lost to us nowadays. One of the few still known, however, is a magical energy transfer. Reciting those phrases in the proper order gives one the power to lend his or her life force to another. Any excess life force in the body of a human will rapidly increase the healing rate of any damage caused to that human. Once healed, this energy is released since a human body can only hold so much energy.  
  
"In this instance, Ivan channeled his energy to Maddie. Maddie's cuts and bruises mended and her hip was repaired. All that was transferred, it appears, was still not enough to give her consciousness again.  
  
"The one factor Ivan did not seem to care about," Houndramon continued, "was that one who sends, thus losing, most of his life force will die without a replenishing source. Life force does slowly regenerate, as does one's liver, but the amount transferred here was so much that it will take too long to recover before the body gives out.  
  
"Therefore, we now have to find a proper source of life force and give it to them. This would bring them back to life, but such a source I know not where to find.

"Other than another living being, I am at a loss as for where it can be found," Houndramon concluded, looking once again at the two in other realms. Maddie's amulet was now faltering, pulsing irregularly and slowly dimming. Houndramon blinked, staring at the light. "She must have slipped into a coma from the incident," the dog reasoned, "or perhaps it's a brain hemorrhage that Ivan's life force couldn't fix." Houndramon's head drooped as the light faded before him.  
  
Houndramon noticed something else with his next scan, however; something that fully renewed his hope and happiness. "Of course!' He exclaimed, hopping over the bodies and prodding his nose at Maddie's small red bag attached to her belt. "TK, give me a hand, here. I found some life force!"  
  
Still not fully understanding, TK slowly moved around the two people on the ground and opened the small pouch for Houndramon. The canine digimon quickly thrust his head inwards. A few loud sniffs echoed out Houndramon eagerly searched inside the deceptively large bag. His head emerged a moment later, a tiny bottle in his teeth. Within the bottle there was more of the same glowing energy that the three had witnessed flow from Ivan to Maddie.  
  
"Life force," TK and Kari said in awe, watching the green smoke slowly flow around within the glass.  
  
Placing the bottle on the ground, Houndramon spoke, "Why did Maddie have to be the one to get hurt? She would have told us to get this; she always keeps things like this with her. We're lucky it didn't break when she hit the ground."  
  
Nodding solemnly, TK lifted the small jar with extreme care and inspected the contents. The glass did have a few cracks, one of which was quite large. Still, there were no missing pieces. It was indeed a miracle that the glass was still in one piece. "Where'd she get it?" He asked, mesmerized by the green essence.  
  
"It may be her own, or she may have extracted it from another source," Houndramon said contemplatively. Then, with more urgency he continued, "But if you would like to know the truth, we should awaken Maddie."  
  
"Right," Kari said, taking the bottle from TK.  
  
"Be careful, now; hold it just above her heart," Houndramon instructed cautiously. "Right, there you go. Okay, now pull the cap out when I tell you. The vapor will flow into her, but you must stop it before too much is gone, or we won't have enough to be able to save Ivan. About one third of it will do; it's very potent stuff. Give it a slight tilt, and it will move slowly down. When you're ready, open it."  
  
Kari, incredibly nervous, tried to open the tiny bottle. The cork, however, was not keen on coming out with such a shaky pull. She looked helplessly at Houndramon, and then felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning further, she saw TK smiling gently at her, the kind of smile that made her heart ache. "We'll do it together," He said softly, taking Kari's hands in his. She couldn't help but return the smile. Her confidence returned, she and TK, his arms around her, opened the bottle and carefully poured the green smoky substance onto Maddie's prone form. The green vapor settled on Maddie's chest, slowly seeping through her clothes and her skin. Her eyes fluttered open a moment later, staring up at the elated faces of TK and Kari. "Hey, guys," she said weakly, straining to make a smile.  
  
"Welcome back, Maddie," Houndramon and the children said in unison. Houndramon went on, "I'm glad to see your eyes open again, you gave us a deathly scare with your little stunt. Nonetheless, you did manage to take down that gargantuan machine." Maddie again strained to smile, having so little strength of her own. "Rest now, Maddie. You're still weak and your life force has yet to be fully replenished. These surges only act temporarily. I just wish we could have thought of your store of it before Ivan did what he did." Houndramon's last words raised an alarm in Maddie's head.  
  
"What did he do?" Maddie asked, sensing something horrible had happened while she was out. Houndramon glanced at Maddie's left hand. Maddie followed his gaze and found not only what had been holding her hand, but what had happened to her friend as well. "Oh no," she breathed, staring at Ivan's still form in horror. "He's not dead, right?" She asked Houndramon quickly, hoping she had guessed wrongly.  
  
"No, I don't think so. Not yet at least. He channeled a large amount of his life force into you to heal your hip. Surgery on such a position is incredibly hard, as one can imagine. Ivan, forgetting that you carry many powerful medical supplies, chose to turn himself into a healing salve." Houndramon's attempt at reassuring words did little to calm Maddie. Her fears from the past once again came, but at the moment she was far from being able to accomplish anything but sleep. Her body was far to tired to do otherwise. "Sleep now, Maddie. We still have enough life force to bring Ivan back so do not fear for him. Sleep; we cannot hope to be safe here tomorrow. Speed is of the essence."  
  
Heeding these words, Maddie closed her eyes, trying to sleep. A few moments later, she was lost in her dreams. All of her dreams since arriving in the Digital World, save a lucky few, were horrible and frightening. So intense were many of her nightmares that she felt staying awake for eternity would be better than sleep. Interestingly enough, she had found that Ivan had a strange effect on her. Whenever she slept near him, the dreams always carried hope. Restlessness was displaced by the brown-haired boy.

Now Ivan was not asleep with her, but unconscious in the presence of death. The prospect of dreams to come scared her greatly, yet Houndramon was right. She needed her strength. And so Maddie fell once again into the realm of those not conscious. The revitalization of Ivan was brought to hand.  
  
"Okay, one back, one to go," Houndramon stated unnecessarily, moving over to Ivan's side. "Here we need to use a little more, about three fourths of what is in there should do it. Save what you can since we may need it later in the journey."  
  
Following Houndramon's instructions, Kari released all but a tiny wisp of the mysterious vapor onto Ivan's heart. His eyes opened a few seconds after the gaseous substance seeped into him. "I-I'm alive?" Ivan asked, astonished. His eyes looked at the dog beside him, an unmistakable grin on the digimon's face. "I underestimated you, pal." He petted the dog affectionately on the head as he spoke. "Much more resourceful than I could imagine. Thank you."  
  
"We'd never leave you for dead; we'd die in this forest without your help. Just promise you won't ever do something stupid like that again, please." Houndramon's pleas were met with a nod.  
  
"Alright, I promise," Ivan stated in confirmation, "But I don't know how strong the fidelity of that promise is. We all do stupid things without thinking first, especially when put under great pressure. Take the life of your best friend, for instance. You know that well enough. Anyways, did my stupid plan work?"  
  
"More or less," TK replied as Houndramon, utterly wasted after the long day, lay down at the side of his companion. "She got all healed up, but was still unconscious. A little more from this bottle did the rest."  
  
"Her bottle! Of course! That truly was stupid; what was I thinking?" Ivan mentally chastised himself.  
  
"You probably weren't thinking," Kari answered him, moving back over to the fire, which had lost little of its strength, being restocked periodically by Gatomon, Patamon, TK, and Kari. "Don't worry, though. She's safe now, as are you. I think that Houndramon has the idea, sleep!"  
  
"Amen!" those still conscious chorused. With the light of the sun gone, everyone got comfortable in the soft nettles and fell from consciousness into their dreams. Moments later, all that remained awake were the pair of faithful amulets, now pulsing brightly in unison, their owners alive and connected in their dream world. A smile came upon Maddie's slumbering face as Ivan suddenly appeared in her despairing dream, bringing her hope and courage to carry on in her plight.  
  
However, two eyes were open, watching, and had been watching for what seemed like hours to the owner of the eyes. As the final member of the corps fell into sleep, the owner of the eyes dared to move, darting out of its hiding place and back to its master, ready to give a full report on all that had transpired since the group came to a halt in their journey.

A cry came deep in the night from the small glen, but had little strength. A few animals rustling in their sleep was the only response.  
  
Maddie came abruptly from her dream, sweating and eyes wide. Her dream had been normal, or as normal as they were for her, when all positive influence suddenly vanished from it. Her dreams always made her uneasy, showing possible futures and events that left her horrified and sick. However, an unexplained sense of hope always erupted in her dreams whenever Ivan was sleeping in close proximity. She longed for an answer as to why this occurred, but none came.  
  
She did, however, do her best to sleep close to Ivan when she had the chance. Ivan became suspicious after a week of her unusual behavior. His coming out directly with a question was unusual, but he had done so on this occasion. Taking her aside from the other dragoons twenty-six months ago, as Maddie remembered, Ivan had asked her to explain why she always insisted on sleeping next to him. He was not angry, but concerned. She explained some of her predicament to him and gave him the general reasoning her actions. She held back some information, not wanting him to know everything when she didn't fully understand it herself.  
  
Upon hearing of Maddie's plight, Ivan had immediately tried to help; he didn't want her to suffer. Such was his nature as a guardian. He tried many things to help her, such as taking her to different places, having her sleep at different times and having her talk to Kilvaramon. None of his tests availed to anything, sadly. Regardless of place or time, her nightmares always came and even Kilvaramon's potent medicine failed to disperse them.  
  
Kilvaramon came to the conclusion that the dreams were not by chance, but were conjured by another, outside force. Since hearing this, Ivan had tried to locate the source of the nightmares. He studied the charts of her dreams that the two had compiled, looking for nights or days when her affliction had been particularly vivid. These too spawned nothing, leaving Ivan only the option of staying with Maddie to do whatever he could for her. Maddie was exceedingly grateful for Ivan's sacrifice, but she was not unaware of the effects her dreams had on Ivan.  
  
It had been nearly two years since Ivan had begun his search for what was causing Maddie so much pain. Nothing had been discovered in that time, but Ivan never ceased his attempts to help her. None of the other Dragoons could see how Ivan kept his grueling pace. His commitments were many, much more than the average boy his age could generally withstand. It was true he was no average kid, however, but even someone with exceptional strength and stamina could not have kept up with him. His only explanation was that his determination gave him unbound strength and that his concern provided endless stamina.  
  
But recently, even Ivan's unimaginable energy had started to deteriorate. No one had yet noticed it, except for Maddie. She had seen his slow loss of energy and felt very guilty for it. It was her dreaming that caused his fatigue – her needs. She wished that she could help him, to take his pain away, to-  
  
"Are you okay?" The soft vice broke Maddie's reverie. She looked up into the sapphire-blue eyes belonging to Ivan. She realized that Ivan must have awakened and therefore caused the light in her dream to lapse.  
  
"I'm fine, Ivan," she said quietly, looking around. The rest of the group was sleeping soundly, the fire had since died, and Ivan had moved to her side. His hand was comfortingly on hers. "What's going on? What are you doing awake?" She herself was still very tired, but curiosity kept her somewhat alert.  
  
Ivan sat on the ground beside her before explaining, "I couldn't sleep, and something made me feel that I was needed." She could see his face clearly now, the sleep dissipating from her eyes. The amulets around their necks cast shadows on his face, giving him the look of a child holding a flashlight at his chin. "But it seems that everything is well; no robotic demons waiting to pounce on us. I gave a quick look around. Houndramon's off somewhere, but everyone else is fine." Maddie looked back at the ground where the dog had been. Houndramon was indeed missing.  
  
"Where do you think he went?" Maddie hoped that he had not been taken from them, but rather left under his own free will.  
  
"I wouldn't worry; there was no sound I could hear. Houndramon probably just went to get a drink, or to get a little exploration done. In fact, I'll bet he caught the trail of one of his digital bones." The last comment made Maddie laugh. The thought of the sophisticated, intelligent dog succumbing to such a simple desire was enough to bring humor to her tired state.  
  
Regaining her poise after a moment, Maddie asked another question: "Well, if everything is okay, why are you still awake? I could use some sleep." She hesitated before adding, "my dreams."  
  
"I know, I know. I'm sorry for leaving you. I wanted to talk to you alone, though. With the rest of the group around, it's hard to do. Could you wait to sleep a moment? It is really important."  
  
"Sure," she reassured him, rolling over onto her now recovered hip to face him. It was amazing, feeling as though it had never been broken. She had heard a deafening crack a moment before losing consciousness in the battle, alerting her that some bone in her body had been shattered. Now it was as if the large mechanical arm had never hit her. Again, she noted that this was due to Ivan's sacrifice. It was his life force that had given her the healing touch.  
  
"First, I was wondering if your dreams had been gaining any intensity recently." The question was unusual, but when Maddie thought about it, she realized that he was right.  
  
Maddie nodded. "They've been getting a little worse each day for about a week now. How'd you know?"  
  
"Remember, I feel the dreams too," He answered, the amulet around his neck giving a bright pulse to confirm the statement. "Something's coming; something big. And if I'm not mistaken, though I hope I am, it'll come before we return our friends to their world."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm not really sure, but the dreams, have they been showing you anything particular? I feel the dreams, but I don't always see what you see in them."  
  
Maddie's brow furrowed as she contemplated what she could remember from her dreams. After she awoke, little but fading images and distressing shadows remained in her mind. Trying to recall specific objects was very difficult. However, one image did seem to remind her of something, someone she knew. She focused on the image until she was sure of whom it was and came to an unnerving realization. Even thinking of the person brought Maddie incredible anxiety – the person that she thought she had escaped.  
  
"It's Jason," She said quietly, her body tingling with a brush of fear at the name.  
  
"How?" Ivan asked, not exactly to anyone, but more as if asking himself for the answer. It was now his turn to fall into thought. He knew not how Jason could be connected to the dreams, but it did make sense. He was the one person who had emotionally scarred Maddie in her young life, aside from her parents. They were now dead, though, jail having taken a horrible toll on both of them.  
  
"I'm scared." Maddie's simple yet powerful words interrupted Ivan's thought process. His attention once again turned to Maddie. "I don't want to see him again. I thought he was gone from my life. He scares me, what he would do to me. And then what he would do to you, Hakin and Susan. I'm scared."  
  
"I know, Madelyn," Ivan said comfortingly, putting his free hand on her shoulder and grasping her hand more tightly in his. "I know what he did, and what he would do if he could. But he never will, Madelyn, he never will. I won't let him. I'll die before I let him lay a finger on you."  
  
Maddie looked at Ivan. He had never spoken like this and rarely used her full name. She looked into his glinting sapphire eyes. So protective, so kind, so loving was his stare that Maddie could almost feel his promise. He always made her feel safe, even in the direst of cases. She smiled inwardly, in spite of her fear, knowing what she felt for him was true.  
  
"Thank you, Ivan," She said quietly, relaxing her head gradually to press against his shoulder. Comfort, love and warmth overwhelmed her as she rested silently against him, never wishing to move again. She knew her wishes were in vain, however, and tried to make the most of her opportunity.  
  
"I did have one other thing I wanted to discuss, Maddie," Ivan said, his right arm rustling gently around her shoulders and his left hand holding hers.  
  
Maddie nodded gently against his shoulder, her eyes serenely closed.  
  
As Ivan continued to speak, Maddie's eyes opened in confusion. He didn't sound normal. After studying what Ivan was saying, she found that he was talking in Spanish. She had taken a class on it in sixth grade, but remembered little and could barely catch the few words she did know as Ivan spoke. It seemed that he, however, knew quite a lot of the language. His tongue swirled around the words, making each syllable flow into the next. His pronunciation was impeccable, even if his vocabulary was not extensive.  
  
"Madalita, tú eres muy cariñosa, amable, graciosa, divertida, atractiva, e inteligente. Tú eres mi luz, mi salud, y mi amor. Amo tú, Madalita, y adoraré tú siempre." With his last words, Ivan lifted Maddie's hand and pressed his lips against it once before releasing it completely.  
  
"When you can understand these words, you will be ready to know what I have said." Maddie was speechless, completely lost as to what the words meant. A few she guessed at: something about caring, gracious, diverted, intelligent, salad, and a siempren, whatever that was. Maddie moaned to herself, cursing the fact that she hadn't opted to engage in Spanish courses in elementary school. Her eyes looked hopefully up at the boy, but he only gave his same gentle and calming smile. Maddie could feel the ache in her chest as she looked at him and averted her eyes quickly. It hurt her greatly to not be able to touch his smile with her own.  
  
Only when he had left did she realize that she was no longer in his arms. She looked around wildly, finally seeing him again asleep near the now doused fire. His duffel bag was acting as a pillow. Maddie's eyes started to water and she turned away from him, trying to control her tears. She didn't want to break down; she was stronger than that. But with the realization that Ivan did not return her love, there was nothing she could do to stop her sobs. She did manage to keep her crying from being heard.  
  
A moment later, a patch of rustling bushes alerted Maddie of someone's presence and she did her best to dry her eyes on the back of her sleeve. Looking over, she saw a large black mass walk to her and sit down next to her.

"Oh, it's you Houndramon." The beast nodded, his face now illuminated by the glow of Maddie's ruby pendant. "You didn't o-overhear us, did you?" Maddie stuttered. She was very self-conscious, not to mention abashed that someone might have heard the conversation between herself and Ivan.  
  
"Merely coincidental, Maddie," The dog replied, lying down next to the human girl. "I had gone to get a drink, then heard voices as I returned. Moving carefully as not to disturb the speakers, in case they were enemies, I came to that thicket. I found you and Ivan talking. It was quite a momentous statement he made, you know. It took great courage for him to say what he did. I was not sure if he would ever use the words I taught him."  
  
Maddie looked down at the dog intently. "You taught him how to say that? That he's tired of watching me? That I'm some sort of diverted salad?" Maddie had to pause at the lack of coherency in that statement, but her frustration only escalated. "How does that take any courage? He didn't even say it to me straight; he tried to say it in a roundabout way to not hurt my feelings." Maddie could feel the vibrancy of duress in her veins, once again on the verge of tears. She then felt a paw on her leg.  
  
"Stop," The digimon said in a soothing voice, trying to calm his human companion. "He never said such a thing, and what he said is true. As he said, when you understand his words, you will be ready to know their meaning. I assure you that they were in no way speaking against you, quite the opposite. I just cannot divulge their exact meaning. That is something that you must learn on your own.  
  
"Now dry your eyes. I'm sorry that you must suffer like this. I believe that he should have told you outright. You must remember, though, that Ivan is instinctively shy. It took a great amount of courage for him to speak those words, even if they were in another language." Houndramon again lay down on the soft pine needles, leaving Maddie with one final statement, "You will find the meaning to those words soon, and then you will be truly happy."  
  
Maddie looked down at the dog once again. He truly did keep an impressive façade during the time he was with others, only showing his true self to those he deemed worthy. Of those there were only a scant few. He was incredibly deep, compassionate, and had an amazing amount of knowledge under his mask. Much more resided in the dog than he let on. With his joking manner and amusing stunts, one would never guess what the true Houndramon was really like.  
  
Maddie started to contemplate Houndramon's words as she adjusted her position for better sleeping ability. Ivan didn't hate her; that brought a wave of relief to the girl. It had taken courage for him to say that, so it must have been something important. And, according to the dog-digimon, the words would make her truly happy. She couldn't comprehend what could make her feel any better in her relationship with the boy. Anything, that is, except to have him love her, rather than him only hold her as a ward. She was desperate to know; she needed to know. Maddie tried to recall what Ivan's words had been.  
  
But it was too late; the weight of sleep overcame her. Maddie found she was once again lost in her terrible dreams. Only protection from Ivan gave her any solace, for he still kept his promise to keep her safe without a second thought.  
  
"Maddie? Are you going to get up today, or am I going to carry you the rest of the journey?"  
  
Maddie slowly roused from her dream, one of the very few that did not cause her pain or terror. Rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn, she sat up. Ivan was kneeling beside her, giving her his famous smile that melted her heart.  
  
"If you wouldn't mind, being carried sounds nice," she replied in the same joking manner, returning the smile as well. Whatever Ivan had said last night, she was almost positive that it was what she had always wanted to hear. She could only hope and wait until the meaning of his words came to her. Meanwhile, she planned to show Ivan that she loved him, even if such emotions were not returned on the same level.  
  
Offering his hand, Ivan helped Maddie get to her feet. Standing, Maddie turned to find that the sun was just rising and the rest of the group was lost in pleasant slumber. Giving Ivan a quizzical look, she asked, "Why did you get me up so early? Its barely daylight."  
  
"We're in charge of getting everything ready to go, aren't we? I thought we should get an early start. No need to hang around here and wait for trouble to find us. What should we have for breakfast? I'm not sure what to make."  
  
Maddie thought for a moment, and came to the conclusion that diginian waffles with reguevo juice and some syrite syrup would be fitting. With a nod, Ivan kneeled next to his bag to retrieve cooking utensils. As he searched and removed various pots, pans, and all the rest of his cooking equipment, he made sure that Maddie was not idle.  
  
"I'm going to need some water, and we need the fire rebuilt. Would you mind gathering some firewood and water? Houndramon's willing to help, if you'll wake him." Maddie nodded in response, turning to shake the furry beast awake. "Thanks," Ivan called over his shoulder, now placing a large bowl on the most level patch of ground he could find.  
  
He needed no cookbook, having memorized dozens of recipes by heart. As he broke Quilronian eggs on the side of the bowl, releasing the red and green contents into it, he was reminded of Christmas. It had been long since he had a formal Christmas, one that he may have had with his family some five years ago. His eyes clouded over with a mist of reminiscence.  
  
This recipe always reminded him of those days: days of his childhood, days that he had once lived, days that he would never live again. Breaking his own thought, Ivan knew he didn't need to be reminded of the days of his youth. He wished sorely to be able to return to them; to be an ordinary kid once again was infinitely tempting. But such a life was no longer possible. He had chosen this fate and it was this fate that he had to fulfill.  
  
Whisking the eggs together with the rest of the wet ingredients, his thoughts again drifted. This time he thought of the previous night. He had stunned even himself when he had spoken to the girl last night. He believed in what he stated with all of his heart, and although it may have been in another language, to speak those words to a girl had always been some far off, distant fantasy for him. It had never been a reality; there had never been a person worthy. Some time back, he had gained the courage to ask Houndramon how to say those words; his own Spanish had never been too great. After all, he had only taken a little over a year of Spanish class. Houndramon, innately fluent in multiple languages thanks to the cross-reference of data from the Real World through the Digital World, had taught Ivan how to speak what he wished.  
  
The reason for choosing Spanish, he thought, was obvious enough. The fact that they had both chosen Spanish as their second language in school had been one of the first things Ivan learned about Maddie. Also, it was also the only language he knew some of outside of his native English.  
  
Why his heart had settled on the agile, darling girl was the harder question. He had never been raised fully by parents, and therefore knew little of adult relationships. However, he also knew his heart very well, and relied on it as a guide.  
  
Along with this, there was his amulet. It had not only taken on the role of storage vessel, inspirationalist, soul protector, and ward against evil, but that of a parent as well. It had picked up where his late father and mother had left him. He owed more than could be known to his amulet, and it was always there to steer him in the right direction. He had learned so much through its silent teachings, each of which was something that a true parent would have been responsible for. Whether a living essence was within the amulet, or whether it was some strange magic conjured by Azulongmon, he was not sure. He only knew to trust in its guidance and to believe in its teachings, for they had never steered him wrong.  
  
A crackling sound brought Ivan back to reality, and he looked to see a fire roaring to life in the ashes of the fire from the day before. Houndramon stood proudly beside it, watching Ivan as he continued to create the waffles.  
  
The batter was now mixed, made automatically by Ivan's independent hands while he had been lost in his thoughts about the past night. Ivan retrieved a unique metal stand from the duffel bag, setting it over the fire. This acted as a spontaneous holster for his griddle over the fire. Placing the larger bottom half of the griddle that he had previously taken from the bag on the support, he poured a liberal amount of the thick liquid over the evenly dented surface. Then taking the other half of the griddle, he slid it onto the mixture within the base and pressed down until it locked. He was therefore assured that it was full to capacity and would produce several fine waffles in a few minutes.  
  
Ivan now set his attention to the five other sleeping forms, waking each in turn. As he roused Filmaramon from her slumber, he looked over his shoulder. Noticing her absence, Ivan was suddenly curious as to where Maddie was. They were now completely out of water, having used what was left in the waffle batter, and still she had not returned from her errand. Leaving TK to awaken Kari, Gatomon and Patamon, Ivan set off in the direction he had seen Maddie go.  
  
Reaching the water's edge, Ivan scoured the shore for any sign of Maddie. He called out her name a few times. Soon, he received a returning call. Running in the direction of her voice, he found her lying against a tree. Not in any pain or discomfort, he discerned, but deterred from her journey for one reason or another.  
  
"Hey, Maddie, what's going on? I was worried." Ivan knelt down beside her as he spoke, looking at her intently.  
  
Maddie looked up, smiling. Though she was uncertain for the abrupt halt herself, she was glad Ivan had found her. "I'm sorry," She admitted, moving to rise from the ground. "I just got caught up in my thoughts and I guess I decided to take a break."  
  
"As long as she's safe," Ivan said to himself silently. Grateful for finding her so easily, he quickly grabbed the buckets and hurried back to the shore. With two quick swoops, the buckets were filled to the brim. "C'mon, we should get back. My waffles are going to burn otherwise." Stifling a laugh with her hand, Maddie nodded, following Ivan back to the camp.  
  
They returned to a scene similar to the one they had left. TK was now wide-awake, warming his hands by the fire and sitting next to Kari. Ivan noticed the subtle hints of affection that they sent at one another, though they themselves missed them. Gatomon was still sleeping, obviously having kept firmly asleep even when told to rise. Patamon was stretching his wings, flying in slow, leisurely circles around the fire. A bird, a bird that happened to be Filmaramon, was fluttering beside the pig-digimon. Houndramon watched the bushes warily, keeping guard as Ivan had tacitly instructed.  
  
"Breakfast!" Ivan called out upon reaching the group. Quickly setting down the water near the fire, he opened the now steaming waffle iron to reveal six over-sized, finely shaped waffles. Each one was bright red with green berries spread evenly within them. Quickly removing the waffles from the griddle, Ivan placed two on each of three plates that he retrieved from the bag. Taking the remainder of the batter from the bowl, he set the griddle to produce six more waffles. Next, he grabbed a bottle of indigo colored liquid from the duffel bag, placing it next to the plates of waffles. To complete the meal, Ivan withdrew a few black, lemon-shaped fruits from the bag. Taking what looked like an orange juicer, he juiced each of the fruits, which turned out to be all but entirely liquid inside. He collected the fluid in a plastic pitcher. He placed the pitcher down, along with the rest of the food, with the flourish of a finishing touch.  
  
"Well, there you go: Two diginian waffles with reguevo juice and syrite syrup. Enjoy!" Ivan did his best impression of a master chef as he spoke, again trying to lighten the spirits of the group. Maddie was the first to delve into the food, the other two children soon following suit.  
  
The bright, florescent colors of the food never ceased to amaze the two younger children. It was astonishing how much they never bothered to look at before, their attention never having been drawn by what they took for granted. All of that had changed here. The perspective of anyone who entered the lush world of Digimon always found such changes occur in his or her life. The most surprising to the children, however, was that the color of the food only seemed to enhance its flavor, as well as the energy it instilled in them. The juice was rich and sating, while the waffles were nothing short of delectable. Thoroughly enjoying the meal, little conversation came as the second batch was distributed amongst the digimon and Ivan, until at last the group was properly fed.  
  
"Indeed an improvement from yesterday's lunch," Maddie commented drolly, looking over at Ivan with the gentle, beautiful smile that nearly turned Ivan into a puddle. He fortified himself on the thought that she was indeed joking, and then returned the smile.  
  
"I thought we could use some special food, for today the journey must commence. However, we must be all the more wary of dangers. We cannot afford any more mistakes, for if someone should get as badly injured as Maddie, we no longer possess the means by which to restore him or her. Time is against us now, and we are only wasting it. Time allows our enemy to get stronger and better prepared. Understand? Good. Alright, everyone, let's pack up!" the last words came as a crisp order, as of a general, and all present responded quickly.  
  
Within fifteen minutes, the party was ready to hike deeper into the enchanted forest. Hoisting his heavy duffel bag onto his shoulder, Ivan turned to take the lead along with the dog-digimon. Taking a quick glance behind him to ensure that nothing was forgotten, he called once more to the group. "With everyone ready, let's move out!"  
  
And so, the troupe mobilized once again, heading into the adventures and dangers in store for them on the second day of their journey.


	6. Trouble And Strife

The Ivani Chronicles: Book 1- Evacuation: Chapter 5- Trouble and Strife  
  
"Keep low, this wind will carry you away if you aren't careful!" Ivan's warning was nearly completely swallowed up by the gale that had enveloped the small band as they traveled through a particularly sparse area of trees. In addition, the wind had brought snow and hail along with it, greatly impeding the movement of the group. Visibility was reduced to nearly zero, and the chill of the air sliced through the thin fabric of the clothing as knives do to butter. Even the fleece jackets that had been brought served as little defense against the oppressive storm.  
  
Houndramon alone felt little of the weather's strength, treading forward with the same determination as always. He did, however, see the state that his friends had been reduced to. They held close to the ground, half-crawling and half-walking along the frozen earth.  
  
Worst off out of the group was most likely Kari, wearing only the sleeveless shirt she had taken from the box back at their original camp. Ivan wasn't doing much better, but this was due to his choice of acting as a windbreaker for the rest of the group. TK, Patamon, and Gatomon were also enduring great pains, but were slightly better equipped to be in the gale. Maddie was doing the best out of those on two legs, holding close to Ivan and thus staying partially protected from the nightmarish winds. Regardless of the protection he provided, however, Maddie suffered just as much from the biting cold and wetness. Filmaramon had become a large winter coat, throwing herself onto Maddie to keep her further protected from the storm. Sadly, her attempt came to little avail. The storm seemed to pierce the hide of any creature, save Houndramon.  
  
Ivan again called out to the group, but found that the winds had increased in speed. No one heard his voice but himself, with the gale stealing the words away just as they left his mouth. He then caught Houndramon's eye and found that his furry companion was still able to move as freely as before. "Create a barrier, genius!" The dog called to him, his voice reverberating through the air as if the cyclone of wind was not present. Ivan quickly heeded Houndramon's words and turned to face the winds.  
  
Muttering a quick verse, he threw his hands to the air. Instantly, a large, translucent green image flew out from his hands around himself and his coterie. Now encased in a pale green ball, the entire group fell to the ground at the relief of no wind pressing against them. A second later they jumped back to attention from the discovery that the ground was coated in a thick layer of icy snow. Although the wind could not pass through the field of energy that Ivan had created, the snow continued to fall around them as they stood, freezing and wet, in the artificial eye of the hideous frozen tornado.  
  
"Well, I'd say this is just a grand way to start off our day, don't you?" The sarcasm in TK's voice as he did his best to keep Kari warm was all too evident. No one needed to be reminded of the weather, as it showed no signs of letting up. On the contrary, it seemed to have gained force as they rested.  
  
"I don't get it," Ivan replied, paying no heed to TK's remark. "It does get a bit cold in this forest, but rarely does it ever snow. And this is worse than almost any other storm I have seen. Something is telling me this is no natural cold front." The group was silent as they began to comprehend what was happening.  
  
"Who could make a storm like this?" Kari said weakly after a moment, still quite winded from pressing through the gale.  
  
"I'm not sure," Maddie answered, looking through the billowing blasts of snow and ice as best she could. "I would think that this is somehow related to the drones or robots, but none of their kind could sustain such an attack for this amount of time. After all, they are robots. They have a limited capacity for attacks before they need to reload."  
  
"Right," Ivan agreed, trying to decipher the source of the frozen assault. As he thought, he noticed his legs were beginning to get numb. He looked down to find his legs embedded in snow and ice rising slowly above his knees.  
  
"We can't stay here anymore, Ivan," TK called, standing and releasing his legs from the deep snow. He proceeded to help Kari up, then turned his attention back to Ivan, who was now holding Maddie above the frosty, snow-covered ground. "Can you sustain this barrier as we move? It would make movement much easier."  
  
"I can," Ivan replied after taking a moment to think of a mobile shield charm. "It will be significantly smaller and weaker, but it should work. Come on, let's get moving." TK moved as quickly as he could through the light-packed, sinking snow to where Ivan waited for him, leading Kari as he went. "Brace yourself, this will be cold," Ivan warned as he placed Maddie once again on her feet and turned away from the group. The others heeded Ivan's words and crouched together, watching him for what he would do next.  
  
Ivan took a second to remember each of the verses required to first remove the current spell, and then engage the other. When he was sure that there would only be a second's gap between the existences of the two shields, he recited the first verse.  
  
As the large green dome dissipated, everyone was shocked with an incredible gust of cold air, penetrating any and all clothing they wore. Even Houndramon felt the thrust of cold through his resistant fur. But as soon as it had come, it was gone. Ivan had kept his concentration and set the mobile blockade into effect. Turning back to the shivering group, he gave a warm, smug smile as if to say, "Did you enjoy that?" The glares he received from the others, even if they were partially feigned, wiped the smile from his face.  
  
"Okay, let's move before we all get turned into snowmen." Ivan's second attempt at lightening the mood also had little effect as entertainment, but was at least met with positive action. Each person picked up their respective digimon, and then followed Ivan and Houndramon further into the ferocious flurry of snow and ice.

An hour passed. Then another. It soon seemed like an eternity had been spent within the unrelenting, magical storm. As Kari forced one foot in front of the other, trying to keep her balance as she followed the others, her thoughts drifted to the previous days. They were days she had spent with Ivan and Maddie. They were days she had spent in danger unlike any she had ever faced.  
  
That first meeting with Ivan and Maddie now seemed to be eons ago. They had left the cave five days ago, journeying into the forest only to encounter a quartet of deadly drones at the edge of a gorge. Things only got worse after crossing the gorge as Maddie fell at the assault of an enraged robotic imitation of a Cherrymon. Sacrifices and luck lead to her reawakening, and they spent their first night only a few yards from the wreckage of the robot.  
  
The following day, they set off in earnest, soon meeting up with the magically twisted trail that had left them the previous day. They covered a good amount of ground that day, more than they would on any other day. That night, however, Kari herself had been kidnapped by what turned out to be giant spiders, jet black in color. Each was about twenty feet long, twelve feet tall and able to take out a blue whale with only a single drop of venom. She did not learn about the true peril she had been in until after she was saved, which helped her to keep from panicking while she had been a prisoner. They used their silky threads to pin Kari to the wall of their roost – a large, hollowed hole in a tree nearly a mile from the campsite from which she had been taken. It was thanks to Houndramon's expert tracking ability and Ivan's battle skills that she was rescued in haste from the spider nest.  
  
Kari's favorite moment of that endeavor was when TK had driven past the spider guards to save her from her silk confines. It was almost as if he were back on his basketball court in Japan, driving past the guards to his goal which, in this instance, turned out to be Kari. He had her down from the wall in an instant, and then turned to defend her from the oncoming spiders. They were most angered at having their meal taken from them. However, they never got close enough to be struck down by TK's staff; Ivani released an astoundingly colorful aurora that, as it washed over the spiders, knocked them unconscious. He later stated that he could not take the life of the forest's creatures, for they were far too important to its survival.  
  
The search-and-rescue episode took about half of the third day away, and the time it took for Kari to recover took another good portion. They only made about one mile in headway that day before they were forced to up camp again.  
  
The fourth day brought even more danger than Kari, or anyone else, had been expecting. First, the group left the path again as it decided to turn sharply in the wrong direction; it nearly fell back upon itself. Then, the foliage overhead became so dense that no light could get through. Ivan seemed to be mildly pleased at the darkness for, as he said, it marked the halfway point of their journey. Regardless, the darkness made it far more difficult to make headway, and any objects impeding their movement were much harder to circumnavigate.  
  
As the day progressed, the darkness deepened and Kari found herself holding onto TK's hand. The only light now available came from the pulsing crests about their necks. Following after the similar light from the amulets of Ivan and Maddie, TK led her forward through the gloom; Kari was exceedingly grateful for it. She wished that she could have said things right the last time the two of them had been alone together. However, she was starting to realize that she might have a second chance at a relationship with TK. She would just have to keep believing and hoping, hoping that she could get TK to admit his feelings for her. Even if he didn't see it, or if he denied it, Kari could tell that he did care for her. If only he could admit it, He would find that she felt the same way.  
  
Kari's thoughts continued to drift through their fourth day, looking for each of TK's subtle signals to her. As the group continued to trudge slowly through the darkness, she suddenly found that the ground was not as sturdy as she had remembered it to be. It wasn't brittle, but softer. She could not see the ground and continued on next to TK, paying the soft ground no mind. By the time she really noticed a more apparent change in the earth they tread, it was too late. Kari and TK had lagged behind the others after coming to a large rock and having a difficult time passing it when Kari suddenly felt a firm, painful grip around her left leg. The same thing seemingly happened to TK as well, for he cried out at the same time as she. It was too late; their cries were sharply muffled as they were yanked into and through the ground, which gave way at the pull of the claws. As Kari was pulled through the soil, she realized that it was not soil, but sand. Had she been able to think, Kari may have realized that it was a Wolf-Lion claw wrapped around her leg. Unfortunately for her, the force of the pincers and the sheer fear of being dragged several feet below ground kept her from any coherent thought.  
  
A moment later, Kari came from the sand into a small underground cavern. She heard TK come down next to her, and they were both released roughly from the claws to the floor. Turning around, Kari saw, with what little aid her crest provided in the depths, a form the size of a mammoth. Innumerable appendages flailed and whipped about it. The appendages, as if by magic, grew and shrank as they swung around haphazardly, giving the creature a phantasmal appearance. Kari was also able to make out two long pincers in the center of the mass, with rows of teeth inside the mouth they framed.  
  
The Wolf-Lion proceeded to advance on the two children, who rose quickly to their feet and backed away from the monster. The creature made a clicking noise with its teeth as it moved slowly closer to Kari and TK. TK had instinctively stepped in front of Kari as they moved away from the creature. However, she hit a wall after only a couple of paces. The clicking became faster as the beast closed in on its prey, making an ominous rhythm. Kari could not remember ever having such fear in her life. The fangs of the creature were inches away from TK now, slowly opening to close in around his body. It seemed to delight in the terror it inspired in the two children. Kari subconsciously put her arms around TK's waist. She may have been scared, but she wasn't going to let some overgrown insect take TK from her.  
  
Kari took the last few seconds she had to study the head of the creature, and was lucky enough to find what she was looking for – its eyes. Two large black circles stood out against the radiant yellow light of TK's crest, which was now bursting with light. With only a second or two left, Kari threw all of her weight forward and tackled TK to the ground, keeping him out of immediate danger. She then blessed her dancing lessons and vaulted herself forward, throwing one of her booted feet into the left eye of the Wolf-Lion. Clicking madly in agony and releasing a guttural cry, the creature reeled back. Kari quickly pulled a shocked TK to his feet and led him out of danger. Using her hands and what little light she had, Kari found a narrow passage in the side of the cavern. Crouching a bit, she bolted into the passage, with TK following right behind. Some fifty paces later, the tunnel opened up a little, and Kari halted. TK came to a stop beside her, and motioned for her to get along the wall in case one of the pincer-arms decided to chase them.  
  
A moment later, an intense light radiated through the tunnel. Kari then heard an exasperated call for herself and TK. Making a silent prayer of thanks, she turned to TK; he had finally come out of his stunned silence. He gave a warm smile, and congratulated Kari on her amazing performance. Kari knew she was blushing as TK continued to praise her, but she was thankful for the shrouding darkness. TK stood still for a moment, as if hesitating, but only for a moment. The next thing Kari knew, TK had wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She was elated to return the embrace. No words needed to be spoken, for actions told all that needed to be said.  
  
After a moment, the two broke apart and heeded the calls from Ivan and Maddie. They dashed back through the thin passageway into the semidarkness of the cavern room, now partially lit by the glowing amulets that Ivan and Maddie bore. Kari could clearly see the beast that had threatened her life. It was dead now, thanks to Ivani.  
  
The creature was darker than ebony, covered in armored plates that looked as though they were feet thick. It had six muscular legs and four openings on its back. From these openings lay the once-flailing pincers with the supernatural tendency to grow in length. The head was by far the most grotesque part: a large circular plate surrounding the softer flesh within. From it protruded the two menacing pincers, as long as elephant tusks and as sharp as knives. Between them lay rows of sharp, jagged teeth. Above them were the two black beady eyes, one now smashed and oozing fluid. Looking like something that had jumped straight out of a horror book, the Wolf-Lion's remains were burned into the memory of all there to witness it.  
  
After inspecting the corpse, Kari quickly explained what had happened to the two dragoons, who were quite impressed by her ability to take on a fully-grown Wolf-Lion.  
  
After checking to make everything was in order and reciting his secret phrase, Ivan transformed into Ivani. He drew and thrust his sword into the ceiling of the cavern. The sand blasted apart at the sword's touch, making an evident yet invisible, due to the darkness, path to the open ground above. As Maddie transformed at her side, Kari saw Ivani take TK in his arms. Madina did the same for Kari, and both dragoons shot up through the hole in the sand, returning to the surface in a few seconds. Even the short flight had generated a great amount of heat, and Kari was sure he had been burned from the trip. She now realized why they could not fly the sixty miles to Secondary Village with Ivan and Maddie.  
  
They had continued along their way for a few hours more that day, holding hands from one end of the line to the other to ensure no one else was ensnared. They reached their most recent campsite that night and had time only for a quick meal before sleep overtook them. Houndramon, Ivan, and TK took turns as sentries, not wanting a repeat of their second night in the forest. They had awoken that morning to a gray sky, which soon became the overwhelming blizzard that it was now.  
  
A sudden sharp gust of wind threw Kari abruptly from her thoughts. She looked around, wondering what had happened. The shield had been taken down. She saw the others, each watching the sky warily, prepare for a fight. Still unsure of what was going on, Kari looked up to see what everyone else was watching.  
  
A cackling laugh echoed through the forest. So unearthly was the sound it sent shivers down Kari's spine.  
  
"Kari, look out!" TK dove into Kari as he yelled, just in time to avoid a large frozen icicle that was shot from somewhere above in the trees.

"Are you OK?" TK asked as he got to his knees in the snow, which was now high enough to reach Maddie's waist.  
  
"I guess," she said, also getting up from the frozen ground. "What's going on?"  
  
"It seems that this storm is being brought on by some strange creature," TK answered, once again turning his gaze to the sky. Patamon and Gatomon were at their side by now, doing what they could to help the two humans from the snow.  
  
The laugh came again, sounding even more eerie than before. This time, however, words were also recognizable:  
  
"Hehehe, Hahaha, prey for me, prey for me! Four of our world, four of another. But not to worry, they will all be together soon- in me! Hahaha, Hehehe!"  
  
The snow in the air started to pull together, gathering together in the air instead of falling. When all of the falling snow had collected into a single spherical mass, the large floating ball blasted apart. As the wave of frozen water swept over the group, everyone was forced to turn away. Looking back, they saw a small creature floating in the sky.  
  
"Wizardmon!" Gatomon cried happily, forgetting herself in the joy of seeing her long-lost friend. However, upon giving the digimon a second look, she saw that it was not who she thought it was.  
  
The organism, in many ways, resembled the late Wizardmon. He wore the same clothing, from his unusual cape to his pointy hat. However, a golden mask covered the face. Glowing redness came from the eye-sockets of the mask, and their gaze swept over each of the members of the party. The Wizardmon, after viewing each of the people and digimon, it threw back its head in laughter once again, an ominous, cynical laugh that reverberated from the trees.  
  
"So many to choose from," the creature said, flowing down lower to the ground. Its piercing gaze was leveled intently on the small party, keeping each of the members stunned into silence.  
  
Ivan, tiring of the wait, drew his sword.  
  
"Ohhh, a sword! I'm scared now!" the strange digimon mocked, rotating upside down as if on an axis. "Come on, give me your best shot, mortal." The voice had suddenly become more serious, losing all but a hint of its previous obnoxiousness.  
  
Ivan readied his sword, when he felt a hand, or rather, a paw, on his arm. Turning, he saw Gatomon and Patamon, both looking ready for a battle. "Let us handle him," Gatomon said, looking the human in the eye. "We've been waiting patiently for a fight, and this seems to be our chance. Besides, Whoever did this to my Wizardmon is gonna get an extra thrashing from me. I've got to at least try and free my friend." Ivan nodded, pointing his sword tip to the ground. Gatomon then looked over her shoulder at Kari.  
  
"Ready?" the cat-digimon asked.  
  
"Always," Kari responded, her D3 grasped in her hand. TK nodded confirmation to his own digimon, readying his digivice as well.  
  
"Soooo, do you ever plan on attacking me, or should I just consume you all now?" the infested version of Wizardmon said sadistically, his glare focusing on the two small digimon in front of him.  
  
"You can try, but you'll be sorry," Patamon taunted.  
  
"We'll give you one hell of a case of heartburn, pal," Gatomon added as both she and Patamon lunged at the wizard-digimon. Right on cue, TK and Kari raised their D3's to the sky, each exploding with a white, holy light.  
  
The light washed over both of the digimon, sending each of them into their next stage:  
  
"Patamon Digivolve to-" The small flying digimon became light as his physical essence was transformed into that of an angel. He once again became solid, and a long, glowing helmet came over his eyes. As his mighty golden staff extended from his hand, the newly transformed digimon finished his sentence: "-Angemon!"  
  
"Gatomon Digivolve to-" The cat digimon was also engulfed in light, the physical form quickly changing into a female battle angel. A similar helmet slid over the angel's face, and an archer's gauntlet slid over her hand. Readying an arrow in her magical bow of wings, the new digimon spoke: "- Angewomon!"  
  
The light on the battlefield weakened, but was still emanating by the two holy beings before the corrupted Wizardmon. The glowing redness of his eyes flickered for a moment, but it returned a moment later with renewed strength. "So, you think some little pesky trick will save you?" The foul digimon called in a sneering voice. "Think again. Unholy Freeze!" The creature raised its arm at the two airborne digimon, releasing a large wave of frozen energy.  
  
Luckily, both angel digimon were able to evade the attack. Another burst of foul ice lunged at the angels, followed by a third and a forth. Clipped angel feathers fluttered to the ground. However, their spirits, as well as those of their human counterparts, were stronger than the adversary.  
  
"Hand of Fate!" Angemon called, raising his hand and releasing as bolt of holy energy at the small offender. It was easily dodged, however, resulting in no more than a small hole blasted in the ground.  
  
"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon yelled, releasing her strung arrow at the insane Wizardmon. This attack was also dodged with ease.  
  
"I've seen better attacks made by grasshoppers," the cynical digimon sneered, raising its arms once again. "Ice Vortex!" as the words left the digimon's mouth, a large swirling vortex spread out from his form, sending an icy hurricane at both the angelic digimon and the remainder of the group on the ground.  
  
The wave of frozen energy threw both Angemon and Angewomon back harshly, each slamming into a tree. Whatever had possessed the magical digimon had greatly enhanced its former capabilities.  
  
Ivan, however, was able to fend off the attack with another remarkable barrier. "Give them more power, guys," Ivan called to the two Digidestined. "They aren't strong enough!"  
  
Heeding these words, TK again raised his D3, calling out to his digimon at the same time, "Angemon, it's time to Digivolve!" Another brilliant beam of light, tinted yellow by TK's crest of Hope, engulfed TK's digimon as he grew even stronger.  
  
"Angemon Digivolve to-" the armor around the angel's body doubled up, providing even more defense. Another set of wings came from his back, allowing for more speed. And, along with his ethereal sword, a large purple helmet descended onto his head, giving the patriarch angel a truly holy appearance. "-MagnaAngemon!" The creature called, although not with a fierce voice, but one that was calm and melodious.  
  
Seeing her companion reach his ultimate level seemed to instill energy into Angewomon as she rose from the snow-covered ground. She prepared another arrow and waited for MagnaAngemon's attack. Together, it would be more than enough to send the twisted creature to the land from which it came. The male angle however, proceeded to engage the enemy in close combat.  
  
The infested mage was designed for ranged combat and, as MagnaAngemon had guessed, was unprepared for a melee attack. The superior angel struck again and again at the small creature, who reeled in pain as one particular strike landed a clean blow across his midsection. "We hate to do this to you, Wizardmon," the angel said calmly, speaking for both himself and Angewomon, "but had you been in you right mind, you would have asked us to do this."  
  
The evil light in the eyes of the mask faded, as if in realization of what was about to happen. "Wait, no, stop!" the mutated digimon screeched as MagnaAngemon raised his blade high above him.  
  
Angewomon also realized what he was about to do, and half of herself hated her for assisting. However, the other half knew it had to be done to save her friend from the torment that he was in. Reluctantly, she moved into position, targeting the twisted digimon squarely in the back.  
  
"Gate of Destiny!" MagnaAngemon shouted, swiping a large circle in the air before him. A mysterious gate then appeared within the trace made by the sword's beam. Thrusting his blade through the middle of the portal, the gate opened to reveal an endless plane of blackness.  
  
"Celestial Arrow!" Angewomon called, releasing her bolt of light into the back of the imitation Wizardmon. With an unearthly scream, the small digimon was thrust into the gate by the force of Angewomon's arrow, and was pulled into the plane of unreality. His cry ceased abruptly as the gate snapped shut, but his voice still echoed among the trees.  
  
The gate slowly faded from sight.

The four mortals watched the bursts of light emanating from the two celestial Digimon. The light concentrated itself, firing back into the D-3s of the respective Digidestined. Gatomon and Patamon came into view as the light faded. Both were severely exhausted. TK and Kari rushed forward, embracing their digimon and congratulating them on their extraordinary skill. Then their attention was drawn to the ground.  
  
As if by magic, the thick coating of snow on the ground evaporated at unimaginable speed. Within seconds, the trees were returned to their former status, the grass came back into view, and the pathway that they had been tracking came into view off to their left, winding back towards the river on their right. Similarly, the river's covering of ice disappeared from view, revealing the fresh water flowing towards their goal of Secondary Village.  
  
"Well, wasn't that a fun excursion?" Maddie quipped as she replaced her jacket about her waist.  
  
"Indeed; it was most entertaining," Ivan stated with exaggerated conviction. However, he was only able to hold his facade of seriousness for a moment before he and the rest of the troupe broke out in laughter. Relaxed and warm once again, Ivan too replaced his fleece around his waist.  
  
Looking up through the now-cleared sky, Houndramon noticed that much more time had passed than they had expected. The sun was now in the middle of it's descent into the west, meaning that evening was only just around the corner. "I would suggest finding a suitable camp somewhere nearby," he remarked, turning to face the group. "It appears that evening will be upon us in a short while, and I would advise that we get settled ere it comes. It may be cold no longer, but I'm sure that we could all do with a bit of extra recuperation."  
  
The others nodded their agreement and struck out into the woods once more. And hour or two later, the group came upon a small, sheltered space along the river. After a short debate, the location was chosen and the cooking utensils brought from the bag. With a quick glance through their remaining supplies, Ivan decided upon preparing Requallo Soup with a variety of side dishes. To Kari's ears, each option sounded more unusually named than its predecessor.  
  
With the sunset to enthrall them, the evening meal was quite fulfilling. The various hues of red, orange, and yellow painted across the sky were remarkable, easily rivaling any sight to be seen on Earth. The Requallo Soup, with it's nourishing and replenishing qualities, was the perfect meal to serve after the exhausting struggle through the snowy wasteland that the distorted Wizardmon had conjured. As dinner was finished, conversation once again wove its way through the group, started by a question from Houndramon.  
  
"You know, I was just thinking about how little I know about the two of you," He started, directing his question to the two Digidestined. "Would you indulge me for a bit? There are some things I'd like to learn about you."  
  
"Certainly." TK said. Kari nodded her agreement. "But there's some things I'd like to know about you four." he added. "Maybe we could make an exchange of information, then?"

"Truth or Dare," Kari cheered, restraining a giggle.  
  
"Sounds plausible," the Dog replied as he sat on his haunches.  
  
"Count me in." Maddie said exuberantly, always ready for action or excitement.  
  
"Don't leave me out," Ivan added. He moved to form a circle around the fire that they had used to heat their soup. With the sun's light all but extinguished, the crew was left with the fire as their only light source.  
  
With the scene set, Houndramon began the questioning. Staring at TK, he asked, "Truth or dare, my fine human companion?"  
  
After a moment of thought, TK replied, "Truth, my fine," TK paused for a moment, thinking, before adding, "furry companion."  
  
"If you were to be drawn into a realm such as the Digital World, what would be the one thing you would wish to have with you?" the furry Digimon asked, still keeping eye contact.  
  
TK was momentarily surprised, and then fell into deep thought. After a few minutes, his head rose. "If it were inanimate, I would select my D- terminal. It would provide me the ability to communicate with others and perhaps find a way to escape from the realm. However, if I could choose anyone thing, animate or otherwise," He now turned his gaze to Kari, "It would be Kari. No one or thing has been more providing and understanding, save Patamon. But even he hasn't been there all those years that the Digital World was kept from us. Only Kari has been there all that time, giving me not only insight, but entertainment and companionship as well."  
  
Kari was unable to speak as she tried to keep from blushing at TK's flattery. She gained her voice a few seconds later. "Thank you, TK. I'm honored," she said quietly.  
  
"Interesting answer, yet quite honorable as well," Houndramon said. "Your turn, TK."  
  
"Well then," TK said as he surveyed the group, "I believe that Maddie will be my victim. Truth or Dare, Madam?"  
  
Taking on an impression of royalty, Maddie answered, "Truth shall suit me fine."  
  
TK pondered for a time, trying to decide upon a good question. He finally decided upon one and turned his gaze back to Maddie. "What would be the one thing that you would like to improve about yourself?" He asked.  
  
Maddie thought about all of the aspects of her life. She found that there was one thing that did stand out above the rest. "The one thing about myself that I would wish to change would be my relationship with Jason," she responded. "Removing that from my life would make everything much easier. However, we all must face trials in our lives. I suppose that whatever happens, it occurs for a reason."  
  
"All yours, then," TK commented as he gave the floor to Maddie.  
  
"Now let's see, who to torture," Maddie said with feigned sadism as she gazed around the others seated with her. "Ivan," she said abruptly, whipping around to face him, "Truth or Dare?"  
  
Fazed for a moment, he watched her shining eyes as she pinned him in the playful jest. Returning the look, he simply said, "Truth."  
  
"You have to make it difficult for me," She said in a playful tone. There was one question that was nagging at her, yet to bring it up now would not only put him on the spot, but would also put her own feelings in jeopardy. She then decided on a simpler question: "OK, then, If and when we finish our tour of duty here in the Digital World, what do you plan to do?"  
  
"Good question, Maddie; I never thought of you as the insightful type," Ivan joked, causing her to grin. "Well, I suppose the first thing I'd want to do would be to get a nice house somewhere near you, Hakin and Susan. Then, I'd look into what jobs were available and what I could use the skills I've gained here for. Perhaps medicine, or psychology, or teaching; who knows? But I suppose college would have to go before that. It'd take a lot of work to get everything back in order, but being with you and the other two Dragoons would definitely be my first priority. After all, the four of us are the only four who know everything that's happened here over our extended absence from Earth. Whom else could I reminisce with?"  
  
"Good points, all of them," Maddie said, covering for her feeling that there were ulterior motives within what Ivan had said. "Your turn."  
  
"OK, Kari. Truth or Dare?"  
  
Kari answered, "Truth."  
  
"Should we just remove the 'Dare' thing altogether?" TK asked jokingly.  
  
"Works for me," Ivan replied before returning his attention to Kari. "What would be the one thing that you would wish for, from anything possible, except for something like world peace? What would you wish for in your own interests?"  
  
"Interesting query," Kari commented as she mulled over the question. "Only one?"  
  
"Only one."  
  
"Then it would be that my friends and I live long, healthy lives together, being close until our end, and being able to help others however we can in that time."  
  
"Well chosen," Ivan said thoughtfully. "Short, and it seems like five little requests all rolled into one, but well chosen. Your turn, Kari." Kari smiled, and then thought of who to pick.  
  
"I will select Maddie as my target, then." Kari said, turning to the other girl. "Truth or Dare, Maddie?"  
  
"Truth, I suppose, since we've dropped the 'Dare' section." Maddie said.  
  
Kari thought for a moment then asked, "What would you be if you weren't human? From Earth, of course, but what other organism would you like to be?"  
  
"That's one I haven't heard before," Maddie said, thinking. At length, she glanced at Ivan and replied, "I'd probably say a Mongoose." Without warning, both Maddie and Ivan started to laugh. "It's an inside joke," she added after she had calmed down.  
  
TK and Kari exchanged quizzical glances. "Well, um, if you say so; I suppose it's fitting," Kari concluded, passing control to Maddie.  
  
"OK, Houndramon, get rea- Houndramon?" She said, turning to where the digimon had been. However, instead of finding the digimon there, she saw that he, as well the other three digimon, had retired. They were presently asleep under a large tree a few feet away. "And then there were four," She said quietly. Turning to TK, she continued, "TK, you get to feel my wrath this time. Truth or Dare?"  
  
TK responded, as had everyone before him, "Truth."  
  
"Wow, what a surprise!" Maddie said in mock-amazement. "OK, Where would the ideal place be for you to live, from all the places in the world?"  
  
"France." TK said simply, making Kari giggle and him chuckle a bit. "Well, I suppose that where I am now is fine, but I think that somewhere like the US, or Canada, or anywhere in Europe, really. I'd just like to have Kari come with me, wherever I ended up. It'd be so much less fun without her around."  
  
"How touching," Maddie said in a taunting, dreamy voice. TK gave her a cold stare and Maddie couldn't help but giggle at his reaction. Kari noticed this as well, and it made her think more about her relationship with the blond-haired boy. It was something that she decided to resolve on her own since asking him outright would be far too rude, even if it would answer her question.  
  
"OK, Ivan, Truth or Truth?" TK asked, dismissing Maddie with a wave of his hand.  
  
"A difficult choice," Ivan commented, "But I believe that I will have to go with 'Truth.'"  
  
"Wise decision," TK said. "The question is: who do you believe would be your perfect companion? Describe him or her, and explain what it is about he or she that would make him or her such a good companion."  
  
"That'll take some thought," Ivan said, suddenly stricken in a sort of panic. Certainly Maddie was the best companion he'd ever had, but Houndramon was also great to be with. His dilemma came when he realized that if he stated Maddie was the perfect companion, he could be taking things a step too far. He knew how he felt about her, and he knew that she, at the least, cared about him. However, to say more may make her regret being so friendly with him; perhaps she had not meant to send the messages that she had, or perhaps he had misinterpreted them. Either way, he felt a false step would easily put his relationship with Maddie in jeopardy, something he did not wish to do before it had even started.  
  
But, if he could not answer with the truth outright, he knew that he could not answer truthfully. He thought of a way to describe Maddie, at least in part, but in such a way that she wouldn't suspect that he was talking about her in particular. Taking another moment to organize his description, he raised his head to the eyes of the other three humans, all waiting for his answer.  
  
"OK, I think I've got it. The description's a bit lengthy, but bare with me on this one.  
  
"I'll start with the physical description. The person would be female, I suppose. She should probably shorter than myself, but not too short. Her form would be well defined and in shape, but not excessively so, as some major athletes. Brown, shoulder length hair works, but I wouldn't mind it being another color, either hanging loose or tied back in a ponytail. I don't really go for elaborate hairstyles. Eye color doesn't really matter, but amber or azure would be my preference if I must choose. Finally, I would be most grateful if she were athletic, to a point at least. Truthfully, I wouldn't care too much about her physical characteristics. Those may be what I would like, but I believe it's what's on the inside that counts.  
  
"That leads me to my next topic: her mental attributes. I suppose the most overbearing quality that I find important would be intelligence. That would be a requirement. Following that, with nearly equal importance, would be a good sense of humor. Able to take jokes directed at her, while also understanding that it's fine to direct them at me. In addition, I believe that a good sense of who she is would be important, as well as good self-esteem. Finally, I would be much obliged if she were to have interests in things that I do. Such is not necessary, but it would be a plus. Is there anything else you'd like to know about her?"  
  
"Well," TK started, "That's a pretty complete description. I suppose that age would be my only question."  
  
"Somewhere close to my age, either older or younger," Ivan answered. "About a year or two either way would be my maximum. However, the age of her heart would have to be very young. I did leave that out, I'd want her to have a youthful heart and spirit, regardless of her physical age."  
  
"I see," TK said. After a moment of silence, TK continued, "Your turn."  
  
Ivan didn't look up to respond, only nodded slightly. He worried that his description had gotten a bit out of hand. He could only hope that the others, especially Maddie, would be able to take it as jest, and not get the wrong message. After contemplating his question, he turned to Maddie. "Maddie, Truth or Truth?"  
  
"Oh, don't make me choose!" Maddie whined, doing her best to keep from smiling.  
  
"Alright, then I'll choose 'Truth' for you," Ivan replied with a laugh.  
  
"OK, what's the question?"  
  
"Describe your perfect companion." He stated.  
  
"Must you make these things so hard?" Maddie complained, though now unable to keep the smile from her lips. Ivan only smiled in response. "OK, for my perfect companion," she started, looking around at the trees through the near gloom that had encompassed them. "He'd have to be," She stopped for a moment, losing herself in thought. Her facial expressions faded as she began to contemplate what to say.  
  
She found herself in a predicament much the same as Ivan's. She didn't know exactly what he had said four nights ago, but she now suspected that it meant he liked her, at least a little. She couldn't verify it, and should she be wrong, she would be incredibly hurt herself. However, Maddie was not one to hold back as much as Ivan. She took a breath, and brought up one of her award-winning smiles. "You, Ivan," Maddie said, a kind ring in her voice. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to a real friend in the last three years. You've always been there for me, and no one else can keep me as entertained as you. After all, you're the only guy I've ever met who has the courage to go around wearing a pennant with pink and yellow on it. And, of course, you can get rid of all those bad little robots without breaking a sweat."  
  
"Don't give me false praise," Ivan responded kindly. "I must thank you for saying that; I wasn't expecting it."  
  
"Oh, and why not? Who else has been there when I needed him or her?"  
  
"I don't know, but I asked you to describe the perfect companion. You really think I'm perfect?"  
  
"As close as I care to get," She responded, still smiling.  
  
"You always are so kind; come here." He threw his arms around her in a warm embrace, which she happily returned.  
  
"You're welcome," Maddie whispered in his ear. The two stayed in that position for a while, until a laughing 'awww' sound came from across the fire. Looking up, they saw TK and Kari stifling giggles. Both Maddie and Ivan glared, causing them to fall silent. Maddie returned to her spot next to Ivan and Kari, but kept her eyes on Ivan for the remainder of the game. Ironically, however, the next question was also to be the last.  
  
"It's getting late," Ivan noted, looking up into the bleak darkness above them. Stars had begun to appear through the black curtain, providing a truly calming atmosphere. "Let's make this the last question, Maddie."  
  
"But then I only get to torture one more person?" She whined.  
  
Ivan nodded in response.  
  
"Not fair," Maddie pouted in a joking tone. "Alright, since I've already picked on Ivan and TK, it's Kari's turn to suffer," She said.  
  
"Oh no," Kari said under her breath. "OK, I'll take Truth, I suppose."  
  
"Well, it's your lucky day, because that's all we can do!" Maddie said, suddenly swapping to a game show host persona. "And today's question is," but before asking the question, she turned to Ivan. "Ivan, give me a drum roll," she whispered quickly before turning back. Ivan responded by making the quick beat of a drum roll using his hands on the ground. "Ah-hem, and the question is: under what circumstances would you consider suicide?"  
  
"Excuse me?" Kari said in wide-eyed shock.  
  
"I know it's a bit personal, but if there are any, what would they be?"  
  
"Um, I don't think I've ever really considered it. The situation would have to be pretty serious. First off, I'd need to be alone somewhere, without any of my friends or family. Second, I'd need to have lost something irreplaceable, like my brother or mom. Also, I'd have to be in bad condition physically, like not having my arms or something. But I don't even think that would make me give up. There's always hope, as TK has shown me time and again, and the Light has always been there to guide me through the tough times. I'm never really alone."  
  
"Well spoken, Kari," Maddie said, glad to see how spirited the young girl was. She herself didn't know where the question had come from; perhaps the Jason relationship had influenced it. Regardless of the reasoning, the answer she received gave her a little insight, as well as some hope, for her own future. "I think that should be the last question, as Ivan said. It's getting late and we have a great deal of ground to cover over the next couple days. Then, perhaps, we can stay up until all hours, questioning one another until we've all gone insane with exhaustion."  
  
"Right," Ivan said slowly. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or perhaps it was the mood of the night, but he and Maddie again started to laugh at their own little joke. "Anyway," Ivan continued after composing himself, "I bid you two goodnight. I believe that the nettles on the floor will provide you with ample comfort for the night. Maddie, I would suggest the same to you, but I'm sure you'll sleep somewhere else just to spite me."  
  
"No, Not tonight," Maddie replied, lying back and gazing up at the sky. "I believe that this spot will suit me just fine."  
  
"Wow, a break from your constant taunting; I ought to revel in this," Ivan mocked, smiling down at her.  
  
"Oh, don't think I've stopped, I just thought you could use a short break," Maddie sent back. "I'll get right back to it tomorrow morning."  
  
Ivan sighed. "Never going to be able to stop you, huh?"  
  
"I doubt it." She replied. "Goodnight, Ivan," she continued, rolling over onto her right shoulder and bringing her right arm up under head as a cushion, the side on which Ivan still knelt.  
  
"Goodnight, Maddie Mongoose," He responded, smiling. Lying down in a like fashion on his left shoulder and using his left arm as a pillow on the stiff soil, Ivan checked once again on the Digidestined. Both of them were lying on the opposite side of the fire, asleep. Turning his gaze back to Maddie, he found that she had already closed her eyes and watched her for a moment before doing the same.  
  
A short while later, the dying embers of the fire were completely extinguished by a gust of wind, leaving the camp in calm silence.

The morning came more quickly than TK would've liked. It seemed as though he had just lain down to sleep when the light filtered through the leaves of the trees about him. Rubbing his eyes to remove the sleep from them, he sat up. Then, looking to his right, he saw Kari, still asleep a foot or two away from where he had been. Seeing her dispelled his anger from being awoken so early. Had he rolled over to avoid the light, he may have never gotten to see Kari like this since even in sleep, she was beautiful in his eyes.  
  
Ivan's voice shook TK from his thoughts. "Hey, TK; Good morning. Would you mind giving me a hand here?"  
  
TK shook his head, as if to regain conscious thought, then looked over to where the voice had come from. Ivan was struggling with what seemed to be a barrel, full of some kind of liquid. "Sure, hold on a second," TK called back, rising to his feet as he did so. Still a bit groggy, TK stretched for a moment before going to Ivan's aid. "Where did the barrel come from?" He asked.  
  
"Filmaramon thought that buckets were too slow, so she became a barrel and had me fill her with water." Ivan responded as he and TK pushed the barrel up to the campsite. Setting the barrel between two roots from one of the great trees, Ivan ensured that the transformed digimon would not roll away. He then retrieved a glass from the duffel bag, and after taking two long draughts from the barrel via the tap on its side, he rested near the remnants of the fire.  
  
TK then looked around for the remainder of the group, but found no one. "They went off in search of a few vegetables and an herb or two; the goods will be for the last couple of days that we're in this forest," Ivan said, anticipating TK's question. Satisfied, TK also grabbed a glass from the bag and filled it from the barrel.  
  
The two sat by the fire for a few moments, discussing what lay ahead of them in the journey. It then occurred to TK that the journey had passed far quicker than he had expected. It seemed like all of the adventures of the forest had each happened in the same day, and they had only left the cave the previous day. "This has been a pretty quick journey, hasn't it?" he commented, lying back on the pine needles.  
  
"It has, although I compare it to campaigns that have taken several months to complete," Ivan responded. He then looked over into the forest "I believe that our companions should be returning soon."  
  
As if on cue, the loud howl of Houndramon could be heard nearby, announcing his return with the others. A moment later, the dog digimon came bounding through the underbrush and promptly charged at Ivan. Ivan, having spent over two years with the digimon, was well prepared and caught the dog in mid-leap. "Welcome back, Houndramon," Ivan said as he set the furry creature down. "Did you bring everyone else back in one piece?"  
  
"Of course! What do you take me for, some kind of forgetful animal?" Houndramon said sarcastically. Maddie emerged a moment later, a small bag over her shoulder. Patamon and Gatomon tailed behind her.  
  
"Success!" Maddie yelled to Ivan, tossing the bag to him. Ivan caught the bag, and then put his finger to his lips. He pointed to Kari, who was still asleep. Maddie noticed her blunder in an instant and cringed sheepishly. "Sorry," she murmured, moving silently to Ivan's side.  
  
"It's OK," Ivan told her. "She should be getting up soon, anyway. We've got to get moving soon."  
  
"Then get cooking," Maddie ordered, going to fetch the duffel bag. Bringing it back to Ivan, she proceeded to unpack it.  
  
"TK, can you get this fire going?" Ivan asked of the resting boy.  
  
Having been with Ivan for five days now, TK was well immersed in how to make and break camp, as well as how to fight with the oak staff he had been presented. "No problem," TK responded, rising from the ground and heading off to gather proper kindling and firewood.  
  
"Maddie, if you would be so kind as to get Kari up, we could use her help," Ivan told the girl beside him.  
  
Maddie nodded and moved over to Kari's sleeping form. Shaking her gently, Maddie roused Kari out of her dreams and back into the known realm. Maddie returned with Kari following, looking very sleepy, yet still in pristine condition. Maddie appeared in much the same shape, her hair still pulled back in a loose ponytail and her eyes sparkling, just as they had the day she met TK and Kari.  
  
"Good morning Kari," Ivan said, looking up briefly from his cooking duties. He had only just started, but his speed was unmatched. "If you'll have a seat, breakfast will be ready momentarily," He said confidently, looking back down to his work.  
  
Kari sat down, watching Ivan go through the motions of preparing what appeared to be pancakes with syrup and applesauce, except that the batter had a tint of various colors, and the syrup was most certainly yellow. Even the applesauce had unusual coloring, being primarily purple with hints of orange and green in it. By now, such uncanny colors had become normal to Kari, but they never ceased to strike her as unique.  
  
TK returned as Kari sat down. As he set the firewood in place, Kari noticed his return. Again she was captivated, seeing him awake and working to help out. He was always like that, never missing an opportunity to aid those in need. Even if it was something as simple as setting up a fire, he helped. Kari realized that she had been staring at TK for longer than intended and quickly snapped her eyes away. Her thoughts, on the other hand, were far more stubborn to convince to stop contemplating the subject.  
  
Kari was again drawn to attention at Maddie's hand. The other girl knelt beside Kari, looking at her curiously. "Are you planning to eat with us, or should I give your plate to Houndramon?" She asked jokingly.  
  
"Give it to me!" Houndramon yelped. Maddie glared at him, silencing the dog. She then turned back to Kari.  
  
"Come join us; it's really tasty," Maddie urged, smiling slightly. "Ivan surely has perfected his skill with pancakes, if I do say so myself."  
  
"I'd say so, too," Ivan called from his seat some distance off, where the rest of Kari's companions had gone to enjoy their breakfast.  
  
Kari shook her head to try and forget her daydream, and then smiled back at Maddie. "Lead the way," She said.  
  
Maddie nodded, then taking the stature of a waitress, led Kari over to a seat between herself and TK. "I hope that this seat will work," she commented before placing Kari's plate in front of her. "Today's breakfast is Roshan Pancakes. Enjoy your meal." Maddie finished her waitress act and sat down at her spot in the shade.  
  
The party spent the greater portion of an hour relaxing under the trees and enjoying the delectable meal Ivan had prepared. However, as the sun rose higher, Ivan realized the urgency in moving forward.  
  
"We still have a great distance to cover to reach our destination," He noted, collecting the plates. "Maddie, please get the rest of the cooking equipment packed. TK put the fire out. Kari, get the digimon together and make sure we have everything packed."  
  
"Listen to him; he acts as though we can't take care of ourselves," Houndramon commented in a disgruntled tone.  
  
Each of the humans completed his or her efficiently. Ivan used the remainder of the water in Filmaramon to clean the dishes; Maddie collected and packed the cooking utensils; TK gathered together a bucket of water and doused the fire; Kari ended up assisting Ivan with packing the dishes away. In only a few minutes, everything had been packed into its proper place, leaving the group ready to move out.  
  
Giving the campsite a quick once-over to ensure that nothing had been forgotten, Ivan lifted the duffel bag back onto his shoulder. Houndramon on his left, Maddie, with Filmaramon now in the form of a bird on her shoulder, on his right, and flanked by TK, Kari, Patamon and Gatomon, Ivan called out "Forward, March!" He then led the troupe off into the forest. 


	7. Wish I Could Read Your Mind

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 6- Wish That I Could Read Your Mind  
  
Exhilaration.  
  
Such is the only term fit to describe the battle in which Ivan and his companions found themselves. To Ivan's left stood TK and Houndramon, engaged in melee combat with three of the drones that had ambushed them. To his right was another drone, pinned to a tree by Filmaramon, she having transformed herself into a lethal katana and launched through the unfortunate drone. Directly in front of him stood another three Drones, each attempting to strike Ivan a critical blow. To make matters worse, another drone stood above the battle, watching and waiting for his time to strike into the combat. Gatomon, Patamon, Kari and Maddie stood behind the warfare, due to their lack of capabilities against such demonic robots, leaving their allies outnumbered. The combat raged on, waiting for one side to gain the advantage.  
  
Ivan attempted to call out to his companions through the fray, but the clash of metal from another deflected sword thrust drowned it out. Having performed parrying maneuvers repeatedly in the battle, Ivan was getting quite worn down. Although his stamina was quite impressive, when battling machinery that knew not of rest he was hard pressed to keep up. TK and Houndramon were likewise tiring, needing both of their efforts to keep their enemies from landing a blow. However, they were not so encumbered by their opponents as Ivan was, and therefore had the first opportunity for turning the tides of the combat.  
  
TK did his best to catch Houndramon's attention, and was soon successful. After nodding to the dog-digimon, Houndramon rolled out of the melee, leaving TK to fend for himself. TK, armed with his staff of incredible durability, was able to catch the strikes of all three drones. The combined might of the three drones threw TK to his knees, but lowered the guard of the drones just enough for Houndramon to get his opportune attack in.  
  
As the drones drew back to strike in on TK for the final blow, Houndramon, utilizing his great agility, charged the drone on the left. It flailed backwards a good distance. Continuing his onslaught, Houndramon pounced the downed drone, tearing the circuitry from the mechanical demon. The swiftness of the strike sent the two standing drones into alert, thus distracting them from attacking TK. Houndramon, again tapping his energy reserves, charged again. This time he checked the drone on the right to the ground and likewise decimated its components with a flash of claws and teeth. This left TK in single combat, something he had learned to handle well from his training with Ivan, and his experience on the battlefield.  
  
The remaining drone had quickly regained itself from the loss of its two comrades. It again prepared to strike TK the final blow. However, it had lost precious seconds in its confusion and seconds were all it took for TK's adrenaline to recover him from the shock of being forced to the ground. As the blade fell in the drone's hands, TK parried the strike with his staff. Then regaining his feet, TK took the offensive. Taking hold of the staff's middle, TK swung his weapon laterally back and forth. The drone was hit on one flank, and as it turned to block, was slammed on the opposite side. Despite attempts to stay the repeated blows, TK kept one step ahead thanks to his adrenaline, and quickly forced the drone back into a tree. Then slowing his onslaught, TK forced the staff down upon the hand holding the deadly blade, knocking it from the robot's grasp. Unarmed, the Drone was unable to block TK's finale: spiraling backwards and grasping one end of the staff with both hands, he plunged a bone crunching thrust into the torso of the drone.  
  
TK's staff had blunted ends, and was therefore not designed to pierce metal. However, the build-up of energy through TK's veins was so great that his strike thoroughly impaled his robotic adversary. It took only a few short seconds for the drone to fall limp on the staff, at which point TK withdrew. Only then did he realize that Houndramon had been engaged by the drone commander, and was quickly losing ground. Grasping his staff, TK dashed off to enter the melee once again.  
  
To the right of all this commotion stood Ivan, faced with another trio of drones. He was working alone and thus did not have the help of a possible distraction. However, he wasn't selected as the defensive dragoon for nothing, and Ivan decided on taking a chance. Holding his blade horizontally, Ivan caught the three blades of the drones as they made a vertical strike at Ivan simultaneously. Holding them for a moment, Ivan summed up the whole of his strength and forced it upon the blades of his opponents.  
  
Had his opponents not been robotic, and had they been unable to regain combat stance so quickly, Ivan's tactic may have well won him the battle. Unfortunately, his enemies were robotic and they did have the skill to regain their footing easily. Ivan's move set the drones off balance for only a few seconds. All too soon, they were again ready to strike at Ivan. But when the robots looked forward, they saw that Ivan had taken full advantage of his opportunity.  
  
Ivan, quickly drawing back as his opponents went unbalanced, lunge-tackled the drone on the left. The power behind the sword's point easily tore through the drone. The tackle brought both Ivan and the drone to the ground with Ivan on top. Having the drone caught on the sword, Ivan quickly rolled to the side and propped the drone up over himself. Only a moment later, both of the arms were hewn from the drone's body. The remaining drones had seen Ivan as the one on the ground and attacked without a second thought. Rearing and kicking the drone off of his sword, Ivan regained his footing while the drones evaded their comrade's projectile corpse.  
  
Now down to only two adversaries, Ivan changed his combat tactic. Since the skill of the drones lay in their strength and not their agility Ivan knew that his own agility would be his strength. Ivan swung first at the left-hand drone, and then at the right-hand drone. He moved his sword in a wide arc to keep his movements fluent. Continuing this pattern, the drones were forced back to keep from taking hits. As Ivan continued, his speed increased and soon overcame the abilities of the drones. Their dodges became less and less effective as Ivan's blade closed in on its target.  
  
After gaining sufficient energy, Ivan threw his whole bodyweight into a deep strike, spinning several times in a cyclone pattern. The extreme velocity, coupled with a surge of strength in the rotating blade struck clean through the blades and bodies of the drones. Ivan then stopped his onslaught and watched the drones clatter to the ground. Taking a moment to recover from the furious assault he had made, Ivan saw the desperate situation Houndramon had gotten himself into with the drone commander. Tucking his blade under his arm, Ivan bolted to the drone commander.  
  
TK reached Houndramon's side first and only just in time. Houndramon had been quite tired from repeated dodges and was no longer able to gain an offensive opportunity. As Houndramon ducked a horizontal sweep, the blade dove vertically for Houndramon. It was TK's staff that intervened with the strike, and the clash of metal against wood alerted Houndramon to the danger above him. Rushing forward, Houndramon struck out at the drone commander's leg, but was only able to score a small gash in the shin. With TK keeping the drone busy, Houndramon decided on taking a brief break from combat, thus allowing him to better assist later in the battle. He then noticed Ivan's swift and stealthy advance.  
  
Seeing TK taking up the battle with the drone commander, Ivan ran to a more advantageous position. Leaping into the air, Ivan attempted a powerful down-stroke upon the unsuspecting artifice. However, the commander was capable of much swifter movements and caught Ivan's blade on its own. With a flick of its great sword, Ivan was tossed roughly to the ground. Having lost his advantage, Ivan was forced to enter the hack-and-slash combat with TK.  
  
Both TK and Ivan tried with all of their remaining strength to put down the commander, but its strength and robotically enhanced stamina seemed to place it in two locations at once. The crack of metal on wood and shriek of metal on metal reverberated through their ears, making both tire of the combat and wish for earplugs. The onslaught of the drone commander continued, and without sufficient energy to strike back, both TK and Ivan slowly gave ground. However, this movement lent itself to the humans' advantage.  
  
The drone, gaining confidence with the tiring of its opponents, continued to manipulate its two adversaries with its massive weapon. It was then that the drone stepped on a chance rock. The rock jammed itself in between the grooves of the drone's feet. On its next advance, the rock caught on a root from the tree behind TK and Ivan. Thrown forward and off balance, the sword lashed out. In combat with a single opponent, the move would have been only deflected. But with TK's defensive staff technique, Ivan was left open to attack.  
  
Reeling back, the drone only saw a flash of metal before Ivan's backstroke sent Azulongmon's sword cleanly through the neck of the drone commander. The robotic head rolled off of the body. Ivan then kicked the torso of the commander, knocking it to the ground. The machinery spasmed on the ground for a moment, hoping to return the assault somehow. It was abruptly silenced by a finishing thrust from Ivan's sword. With the drone commander defeated, the battlefield became eerily calm until both Kari and Maddie called out to Ivan, TK, Filmaramon, and Houndramon. Gatomon and Patamon trailed behind the girls, and soon the group was reunited amongst the dismantled drones.  
  
Maddie quickly scanned Filmaramon, Houndramon, and TK for damage, and found none. However, on her scan of Ivan, she saw the shirt of his left shoulder was matted with blood.  
  
"What happened?" Maddie asked anxiously, quickly retrieving her red pouch from her waist.  
  
"I'm not sure," Ivan responded, feeling the pain from the wound now that his adrenaline had worn off. "It must have been when the two drones struck down on their ally. One of their blades must have continued on into me."  
  
"Well, get that shirt off so I can treat the wound." Maddie said, now having set out the proper medications on the ground. Ivan did as he was told, and Maddie then made him kneel on the ground with her. First wiping the wound clean with a sterile cloth, Maddie found that the cut was a long gash across Ivan's shoulder. The wound was deep and would cause much discomfort for him on the few remaining days of their trip. With the aid of Maddie's medicines, she estimated the cut would recover within a day or two.  
  
"It'll be alright in a day or two," Maddie assured him, applying the proper disinfectants.  
  
"That's good to know," Ivan said, trying to move his shoulder around a bit, but stopped by the sharp pain it brought.  
  
"Careful," Maddie warned, grasping Ivan's shoulder to keep him from worsening the injury. "The wound's deep. If you keep moving your arm, you're just going to cause more damage to your shoulder muscle."  
  
"Alright, but when it cramps up on me tomorrow, I'll blame you," Ivan teased, relaxing his shoulder and allowing Maddie to continue her ministrations.  
  
"Then you can treat your own wound, Mister 'I can't handle a little shoulder cramp,'" Maddie countered, her eyes shining in playful jest.  
  
Sighing, Ivan looked over at Maddie. "I don't suppose I can ever win, can I?" he asked, leaning back a bit in order to relax his aching muscles.  
  
"Not until I'm paid, and even then, you're not really winning," Maddie returned with a wink. She then drew out a long strip of gauss.  
  
"Well, that's just so uplifting, but don't think I'll- Ow!" Ivan clenched his teeth as Maddie pulled the gauss tight around Ivan's shoulder and tied it off with a clip.  
  
"Oh, poor baby," Maddie taunted, her eyes shining brighter with each remark. Standing, Maddie reached out her left hand to help Ivan to his feet. Looking up, Ivan saw the extended hand, and glared up into Maddie's sparkling eyes.  
  
"You're enjoying every minute of this, aren't you?" he said, moving to get up himself.  
  
"Oh, of course!" Maddie responded. She then extended her right hand instead. "I do have my limits, though, come on."  
  
Gratefully, Ivan took Maddie's hand in his own and started to pull himself up. However, he was not done getting back at Maddie for her taunts. As Maddie continued to pull Ivan to his feet, he suddenly shifted his weight and threw himself down onto the ground. He also kept Maddie's hand in his own, and pulled her down to the ground with him.  
  
With a scream, she fell forward, straight into Ivan's waiting arms. Grabbing hold of Maddie and rolling with her, Ivan effectively pinned Maddie to the ground. Holding Maddie's head in his left hand to keep her from hitting any rocks with her head, Ivan held himself above Maddie on his right arm. Looking down, he saw Maddie's eyes had closed in fear. Once she was sure she had stopped moving, she dared to open her eyes, looking up into Ivan's  
  
"Guess I got to win for once, didn't I?" Ivan teased Maddie, knowing that she was helpless to counter him. Unfortunately for him, Maddie's wits and cunning were sharp and had yet to be beaten.  
  
"Oh, you may think that, but the fact that my knee is still free does put you in quite a predicament, doesn't it?" Maddie countered, raising her legs a bit.  
  
In the next instant she had latched her legs around Ivan's and threw all her weight into pushing upward on Ivan's left side. Without his arm to hold him down, he quickly toppled back to where he had started, Maddie pinning him to the ground. "No, Ivan, you still have some work to do before you can beat me." Satisfied, Maddie again rose to her feet, dusting off her pants from the fall. "Not a bad tactic though; it may have been successful if you hadn't been dealing with me." She extended her right hand again. "Truce?" she asked.  
  
"Truce," Ivan responded gratefully, still taken aback by Maddie's great skill. He then grasped her hand in his own, pulling himself to his feet beside her. Once standing, Maddie then embraced him, surprising Ivan again.  
  
After a moment, Maddie pulled back. Her eyes looked a bit red, and Ivan noticed his shirt collar was now wet. "Maddie?" Ivan started. "Is something wrong?" He placed his good arm around her and watched her with concern.  
  
Maddie quickly shook her head, attempting to hide her face in her hands. "It's nothing, really," she said evasively. However, Ivan was not so easily fooled. He pulled Maddie close once again, holding her gently and attempting to calm her. Maddie's tears came anew then, running from her eyes, down her cheeks, and onto Ivan's shirt. "I'm sorry," she apologized between sobs. "It's just that I thought you were really hurt, or – or-" Ivan figured out what she meant then; he continued to hug her.  
  
"It's OK, Maddie," Ivan whispered in Maddie's ear. "I'm fine, it wasn't a bad wound; I'll be fine. Don't worry about me; I'm Ivan, remember? I'm super-special Ivan!" although most of his statements were intended to sooth her, his last words had been meant in jest. Maddie realized this and was able to smile again as she had during their games. She pulled away again, looking up into Ivan's azure eyes.

"Thank you," She said before shaking her head again. "Jeez, I didn't expect to break down like that," She continued, "Sorry. I mean, how could I forget that you were super-special Ivan?" Maddie smiled as she said the last words, taking comfort in the thought that they were true.  
  
"It's alright, so long as you remember now," Ivan returned, smiling back at her. They stayed as such for a moment more before both realized that the remainder of the group stood about them, waiting for their directions. Breaking apart suddenly, they did their best to hide their blushes from one another. However, Kari was able to catch Maddie's redness, and TK noticed Ivan's. The Digidestined exchanged glances, and then looked back at the dragoons with small, amused grins.  
  
"OK, now that that's taken care of," TK said in an attempt to change the subject, "I suggest that we get moving forward. Any complaints?" No one spoke, and TK then took charge, leading off down the path into the yet unexplored forest. Kari, Gatomon, Patamon, Houndramon, and Filmaramon followed. As Ivan and Maddie took up the rear, Ivan found that his fatigued shoulder stung badly when he moved. Stumbling backwards, Ivan nearly fell. To his relief, Maddie was there to catch him, and then pull his left arm over her shoulders to keep his wound elevated.  
  
"Thanks, Maddie," Ivan said, smiling down at the girl at his side.  
  
Maddie returned the smile and, with a wink, replied, "Well, I guess it's only polite to help the super-special Ivan on his down day."The battle that afternoon had been quite exhausting for the combatants, especially TK. Fighting had never been his branch of expertise, although the occasional scuffle in the Real World was unavoidable. He had been so used to having Angemon by his side that he had never learned fighting skills himself. Now that they were within these cramped pathways, the digimon did not have nearly enough space to digivolve under normal circumstances; TK was left to fend for himself. The repeated impromptu fights had indeed enhanced his skill, as had Ivan's training sessions, but TK was far from having the physical training that the battles often demanded.  
  
As he led the group through the narrow path, TK found that even his leg muscles ached from the fight. The point at which he had been thrown to the ground had been a strain for him to keep from getting completely grounded. Now his legs continued on their vigorous hike through the forest, hoping for a clearing in which they could camp to come soon. It was not long before TK got his hopes appraised: a large clearing opened up before them an hour's time after leaving the battlefield.  
  
The only problem with the site was its size. So great was the clearing, and so sparse were the surrounding trees that it seemed all too simple for an ambush to be made successfully upon the space. Looking back, TK sought out Ivan for advice. Ivan came around the path's most recent bend, now walking under his own strength with Maddie at his side. Walking back, TK asked Ivan for his opinion.  
  
"That's a good point, TK," Ivan started, "This space is very open, but the next plausible campsite could be a great distance on. We run a risk either way, yet I feel that the group would fare better staying here. I can generate a shield for a portion of the night, and if we have watchmen during the rest of the time, we will be more than secure here."  
  
"Are we limited to only watchmen?" Maddie asked, joining the counsel. "It seems that Kari and I would make just fine watchwomen, right?" Kari nodded in response.  
  
"After all, you two were out fighting all those mean drones this afternoon, I think it's time we do our part," Kari said, confirming Maddie's plan.  
  
"Don't leave us out!" Gatomon called, running with Patamon over to the group. "We may not be as big as you, but we still have eyes!"  
  
"Well, with this many volunteers, it seems hard to pick and choose," Ivan admitted, stepping back. "However, if we do shifts of two, we will have a better chance to see things, and it will give everyone a chance to pitch in. All in favor say 'Aye.'"  
  
A unanimous response followed, and camp was set up only a few minutes later. Houndramon had again taken up Ivan's duffel bag from the battlefield; it was soon unloaded. Ivan and TK got dinner underway; they were to take first watch. Houndramon did a scan of the perimeter before food was served. He had been asked to take no watch. Rather, He and Filmaramon were to be reserve watchmon, should the shifts end up being too long. Kari and Maddie chose the third shift. They aided the boys however they could, either in food preparation or in tending Ivan's shoulder, as he was quite stubborn in wanting it to move. Gatomon and Patamon, therefore, had the second watch, and they decided to take their opportunity to get a bit of extra rest with Filmaramon, who was exhausted after staying transformed so long in the drone.  
  
Dinner was served soon after camp had been set, and all of the food was eaten with vigor. The grueling, uphill hike that day, followed by the fight, left everyone famished and dehydrated. The girls, as well as the digimon were then shooed to bed; Ivan and TK suspected that extra sleep would be appreciated. Then, with the rest of the group in bed, TK and Ivan were left together at the campfire.  
  
Lying down on the ground, TK thought back to the events after the battle. He had felt ready to collapse then, and did so after being checked over by Maddie and pronounced adequate. Sitting down rather roughly on a nearby rock, TK had tried to calm his nerves and relax his muscles. He had closed his eyes in repose, lying back on the stone. Once he had felt somewhat revived, he opened his eyes again to see Kari staring back at him, a quizzical look in her eyes.  
  
"You sure picked a great spot for a nap, TK," she had said, moving around the rock to sit next to him. "But I think a pillow, or the ground at least, might make you have a few less cramps."  
  
TK held that moment in his mind, remembering just how she had looked then. Her hair was all in order, whereas his had been tossed about by the battle. She had looked absolutely beautiful then. He could never remember feeling those kinds of emotions, and the battle had surely brought new thoughts to his mind.  
  
More than once he held his life in question as the swords of the drones kept hitting his wooden stave. It was only by great luck and grace that it never snapped. In fact, TK found that only slight scratches could be seen in the wood where blows had been landed. Not a single crack was visible. Nonetheless, the fear for his life was evident throughout combat that day.  
  
It was Kari that had made him realize so many things afterwards. Sitting there on that rock, she had spoken no more than two sentences, but even that was enough. Her joking manner after such a dangerous encounter may have been made to cover something, but it was reassuring to TK that the danger had passed. TK also realized that the danger was surely not over with. As they had continued through the forest, more and more adversaries had been appearing. There was no doubt in his mind that the ultimate opposition was yet to come.  
  
The biggest problem in TK's mind then was Kari. It had taken him serious thought to come to a conclusion about his feelings for her, and he was still uncertain as to how far his feelings went. The threat of death was also a weighing factor. He would never be able to tell Kari how he felt, how he had felt for so many months, perhaps years by this point. He knew she needed to know of his feelings – his love for her – and soon. Otherwise, he thought he would never get his chance to experience what love may feel like, and how happy both he and Kari might be.  
  
As TK's thoughts continued, something new struck him. If he could be killed, then Kari could just as easily be the victim. He knew that he was fairly competent in battle, which he had shown earlier that day. Kari was not built for battle and was a pacifist by most standards. She had been able to stay alive long enough for a rescue during her encounter with the spiders, and she had been the one to stun the wolf-lion. However, those occasions had been won out by luck and chance, not by combative skill.  
  
The melee today had been a frontal ambush and was therefore easily taken upon the shoulders of the fighters, but that was not guaranteed every time. It had also been luck that the drones had not used their stealth suits in order to get a better advantage. All of the possibilities sent TK's head spinning, and only one key point remained in his mind: he had to tell Kari how he felt about her. Perhaps he needn't go into detail, such as how he couldn't stand being separated from her, or how her voice was able to lift him from any despair. Rather, he felt it better to move up to those thoughts.

After contemplating how, when, and where to tell Kari about how he felt, TK made a single vow. He knew he needed to act soon, before luck ran out and separated him from his love, and he knew that he would have to stay true to her. With his thoughts adjourned for the time being and his vow locked safely away with his other promises and covenants, TK sat upright again.  
  
Looking to his left, TK spotted Ivan sitting, possibly caught in a similar thought process. After Kari had sat next to him on the rock, TK had looked over and seen Maddie embrace Ivan. The two had clearly been friends when he first met them. Strangely enough, they each seemed to hide something from the other. However, Maddie had let something slip that day, and it was quite possible that it had caught Ivan's attention. TK wasn't sure he should interfere, but curiosity had taken hold of him. Perhaps he could even learn more about his own feelings from what Ivan said. After all, Ivan was one of the most intelligent people TK had ever met. Getting up, TK walked over to Ivan.  
  
Looking up at the noise TK made, Ivan saw the boy walk up and sit opposite him. His thoughts had been keeping him occupied, but his senses did not weaken because of it. TK seemed to want to talk, and Ivan was desperate to tell someone about all the feelings jumbled up inside of him. "Care to talk?" Ivan asked, checking his intuition.  
  
"Yeah, I had a few questions, actually," TK responded, speaking softly as to not awaken their sleeping friends.  
  
"Alright, I'd be glad to help you out however I can," Ivan said, wondering what could be bothering the other boy.  
  
"Firstly, I was curious about what you were thinking about just now, you seemed quite engrossed in your thoughts."  
  
Ivan had not suspected TK to be so direct and was taken aback. He recovered quickly enough and thought of a way to phrase his thoughts properly. "Well, we've been going through so much on this trip, far more than I had thought possible. I guess it was just my relationships with the others. It helps to talk to others about things like this, doesn't it?"  
  
"Sure," TK responded. "I've been having some thoughts about my relationships with the others here, too. I had been hoping that we might be able to exchange notes, so to speak. However, I think I could narrow down my main concern to one person." TK looked over Ivan's shoulder at the two slumbering girls, Kari in particular.  
  
"I know what you mean," Ivan said, also looking over at the two girls; his eyes focused on Maddie.  
  
"I suppose that would confirm my suspicions about the two of you," TK said, looking back to Ivan.  
  
"What would those be?" Ivan said slowly, hoping that he hadn't been overly obvious.  
  
"Well, it's no mystery that you and Maddie are good friends. It's seemed quite possible that your relationship could be more than that."  
  
"Yeah, that's the thought that crosses my mind these days. She and I have done so much together, anywhere from fighting to leading a couple of wayward Digidestined home. It seems so strange, like we were made for one another. I mean we can nearly finish one another's sentences. And she's always ready to go, get another task underway, or to help whomever she can in any possible way. She's really the only one who can keep up with me sometimes, and vice versa. It just seems so strange; I can't really even begin to explain it."  
  
"You did a pretty good job," TK said after a moment, taking in the whole description. "I wish I could be of more help, but I suppose my position's quite similar to your own. For example, Kari and I have been good friends for years now and go almost everywhere together. It just seems so unusual. In comparison to my friends, I seem so strange. I mean, most of them have had a girlfriend or two; some have had more than that. Despite that, I haven't been able to really think of any of my girl friends in any other way but friends. Everyone except for Kari, that is.  
  
"Kari really is the only companion I can think of as more than a friend, and I like the feeling I get from those thoughts. Nothing serious, but to just be able to comfort her when she's sad, rejoice with her when she's happy, and to just spend time with her. And, although I suppose it's a little sappy, just being able to hold her, tuck her in before she goes to bed, all those cheesy little romantic things that come to mind are things I want to experience. I'm not sure how, but I really don't think there's anyone else I could ever think of in that way."  
  
"I know exactly how you feel, TK," Ivan told him. Ivan had never suspected the link between TK and Kari was so strong. Moreover, he was surprised by how similar he and TK felt about their respective female friend. "I don't think I could have put it better myself, either," he continued. "It seems to me that many of those things already happen, don't they? For instance, you always comfort her when she's upset, and you're more than ready to enjoy time with her. The two of you may already be more than friends, you just have yet to realize it."  
  
TK thought, considering Ivan's words. It was true that he did get to spend a lot of time with Kari. He did comfort her, to a degree, when she was upset. It just seemed that it should be different, that it should be his shoulder Kari cried into, rather than her brother's, and that he should be the one to hold her hand through the dark passages of life. Then again, that had been the truth in the wolf-lion's tunnel.  
  
"You're very insightful, Ivan," TK responded after realizing the truth in his words. "I always thought of love as some sudden thing, when everything seemed to about face and narrow down into two people. That's not the truth, is it? Love is really just a continuation of the relationship between two people who care about each other and enjoy one another's company. There's no real boundary that's crossed, or any hurtle to be cleared, it's just the natural continuation of life, isn't it?"  
  
"And here I was, thinking I was the insightful one," Ivan responded with a chuckle. "You really took that statement out, didn't you? You're right, though: Love isn't really a barrier or an obstacle; it's a state of being that comes when you care enough about a person that you're willing to help them however you can, regardless of your own condition. It's also a feeling that not only brings you such deep concern for the beloved, but also the ability to share in the joys and accomplishments with him or her. It makes you want to be with him or her whenever possible. Essentially, it gives you both a shared and split emotion. The happiness of one carries to the other, but one corrects the sadness of the other, if possible. The long and short of it is that love is the single strongest positive bonding emotion between two people. It alone is able to endure any event, if it is strong within its carriers."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" TK questioned, curious about all Ivan knew about the emotion in question.  
  
"Well, take an injury for example. When one of the two people bonded by love is injured, the other will do all he or she can to aid the injured. Such is the natural thought process. However, in the case of death, there is little that the one in life can do to help the dead. But if the Love was true and pure, then the love would continue on between the two, on until the other falls into death's embrace and is risen up into the land of the dead and beyond, off into eternity or whatever afterlife is to follow."  
  
"Makes sense," TK said after a moment's silence. "And I suppose you're right. I had made a vow to myself to tell Kari about my feelings about her soon. I promised myself that I would love no other and continue to love her on through death into eternity. It seems that our thoughts intertwine on that factor as well. Widows remarry, though, don't they? What would you say about that?"  
  
"To that, I would say the love between the initial couple was subject to one of two things," Ivan stated, continuing through his reflections on Love. "First, the relationship was not quite at the point of true, pure Love, and that the widow found Love in the second partner. Second, it is possible that the relationship between the first partner and the widow was true love. At that point, some feel that they should hold true to their Love and never remarry. Others feel that their Love was so strong that they should share it, or that they should be happy in the remainder of their lives. Whatever their reason, it is no infidelity so long as the beloved is not forgotten, for true Love wields a bond that death cannot break."  
  
"That works for me," TK said after thinking over Ivan's theory. It really did seem to coincide with his thoughts. He felt that his bond with Ivan had grown even stronger on their watch. However, time had passed quickly: it was time to wake Patamon and Gatomon. Standing, he looked down at Ivan. "I don't think I've stolen your insight, Ivan. I think I just got to add onto it here."  
  
"Well, that's good to know," Ivan responded, also standing. "It's time to wake the second shift, right?"  
  
"In a minute," TK said softly. "There's something I'd like to do first." With that, TK slipped over to Kari's side silently, whispered something in her ear, and then progressed over to Patamon's side. Shaking the flying digimon awake, he indicated that it was changeover time. He then roused Gatomon from slumber and returned to Ivan's side. "Alright, we can go to sleep anytime," he said as he returned.  
  
"Real slick there, TK," Ivan said with a smirk before moving over to his pre-selected sleeping spot. He moved silently, and had chosen a location that allowed him to watch over Maddie without being too obvious or intrusive. Then he noticed Maddie's uneasiness. Rising again, Ivan moved to her side.  
  
Maddie continued to toss and turn, and Ivan figured that her incensed dreams had come again. He was not yet asleep and knew she was most likely going through something rather unpleasant. Gatomon and Patamon were at Ivan's side a moment later, both looking at Maddie with concern.  
  
"I've got it under control, guys," Ivan said to the digimon softly, "I'll call you if I need you, but I'd appreciate it if you kept an eye on the perimeter." The digimon nodded. With a fleeting glance, they returned to their posts.  
  
With the digimon back at their positions, Ivan gently shook Maddie's arm. Her eyes blinked open after a moment, and she looked up sleepily at Ivan.  
  
"Hey," she managed to whisper in her tired state.  
  
"You were tossing and turning, Maddie. Are you OK?" Ivan gently rubbed Maddie's arm as he spoke, doing his best to calm her.  
  
"I was scared," she admitted, taking comfort in Ivan's calm, protective actions. "But I think I'm OK now. I just wish they would go away."  
  
"I know, Maddie," Ivan said, carefully setting her head down on her bag again. "Try and get some sleep now, I'll be asleep with you in a minute. Would you like some water?" A nod was Maddie's response; Ivan retrieved the water from the jug near the waning campfire. Returning, Ivan handed Maddie the small cup. "Here, be careful not to spill; we don't need wet clothes now," Ivan said, smiling down at Maddie.  
  
Maddie drank the water quickly, and relaxed against her bag. "Thanks, Ivan," she whispered before closing her eyes.  
  
"Goodnight, Maddie," Ivan whispered in return, brushing the hair from her face. He stayed there a moment longer, his arm still massaging hers. When he felt that she was asleep, he moved to return to his own bed. But he found that his right arm was not moving. Looking, back, he saw Maddie's hand had grasped his own, and a smile had come to Maddie's lips.  
  
"Goodnight, Ivan," She whispered, her eyes still closed. "You weren't thinking of sleeping anywhere else, were you?"  
  
After thinking a moment, Ivan decided that his current position was just as good as any if Maddie wished for him to stay. He was able to catch the duffel bag strap on his foot and pulled it in, maneuvering with his right arm held in Maddie's left hand. Soon, his bag was placed next to Maddie's, providing the closest thing to a pillow possible on their trip. Then moving his right arm around Maddie's waist, he slipped his left arm under his bag while limiting his shoulder movement. Then, as an afterthought, he whispered again, "Goodnight, Maddie," and pulled her body close to his own with his arm, still in Maddie's grip. She pressed her back into his chest and squeezed his wrist feebly before falling asleep. It was only a few minutes before Ivan fell asleep, too.

TK found his dreams taking him on a pleasant ocean cruise, he being the captain of a small vessel. He had only been out on the water a few times in his life, but he found himself strangely acquainted with the controls and abilities of his ship. Looking out over the pristine water in all directions, TK finally felt calm and relaxed, perhaps for the first time since his adventure began with Ivan and Maddie. His cruise was soon interrupted, however, as high waves and strange calls reverberated through the dream world. Little did TK know that his turbulence was not imagined, but a reality caused by Kari.  
  
"TK," Kari whispered, gently shaking TK from his slumber. Gatomon and Patamon had recently awoken her and although she was ready to begin her watch, she had a predicament that she felt TK could help her with.  
  
After a moment's more of shaking TK, he rolled over, drowsily opening his eyes. When Kari's eyes met his own, he quickly sat up with a smile on his face. "Hey, Kari," He mumbled, doing his best to sound enthusiastic in his tired state. Looking about, he asked, "What's going on?"  
  
"It's time for third watch," she said quietly, "but we have a slight problem."  
  
"What's that?" TK asked, hoping it wasn't anything serious. Kari's lips curled into a small smile, and gestured to the sleeping bodies of Ivan and Maddie. Ivan's arm was still wrapped around Maddie's waist.  
  
"My partner has seemed to get a bit wrapped up in something," she said slyly, quite amused by the sight. "Do you think I should wake her up? I wasn't sure if I should."  
  
"I'd take her place if I wasn't so exhausted," TK replied, rising to his feet, "But I think Maddie should do her part, even if it does have to break up her sleeping position." TK then moved over to Ivan and Maddie, awakening Maddie as best he could without disturbing Ivan. After a moment, Maddie had risen and walked back to the former campfire.  
  
"Sorry about that," Maddie said upon reaching Kari, rubbing her face. "I probably should have just let Ivan return to his spot. I'm ready now, though." Finished, she ushered TK back to bed so he would be ready for the trip tomorrow.  
  
"It seems our fire has gone on a vacation," Kari said, looking down at the blackened wood and ashes. "Do you think we should rebuild it?"  
  
"Not a problem," Maddie responded, turning to the ashes. After whispering a small phrase, the gauntlet she bore glowed with a red light and her palm became engulfed in flame. Then, Maddie carefully moved her hand to the burned remains of wood. Magically, the ashes and wood sparked back to life. The fire had soon returned to its original state. Maddie muttered the counter for her spell, extinguishing her hand. "There we go; that will last the remainder of the night."  
  
Kari had nearly forgotten about Maddie's magical talents, but recalled first seeing the gauntlet as they had left the cave nearly a week ago. Now the magic had been used again, and Kari could not help but be astonished by Maddie's skill. After all, it wasn't every day that she saw her friend willingly light her hand on fire. Then again, Maddie's hand was unscathed, possibly because the spell had been designed to not harm the caster. Whatever the reason, Kari was still amazed by the ball of flame that had been generated out of thin air. "Not bad, Maddie," she said after recovering from her surprise.  
  
"It's not all that special," Maddie said with a laugh. Sitting down on the ground, Maddie turned to watch the forest, her back staying warm from the fire.  
  
Kari mimicked Maddie's position on the opposite side of the fire. Staring out into the blackness, Kari soon found herself lost in thought. All that she had seen that day and over the past week had been far stranger than anything she had encountered before. Furthermore, her emotions were getting out of hand as she found herself more and more attracted to her blond-haired companion. She had been friends with TK for years, and he was the friend she had connected with the most. She knew that friends were supposed to stay friends, but something inside of her wished otherwise.  
  
Kari looked over at TK, sleeping peacefully near a tree. How handsome he looked to her, even in slumber. She had never thought her feelings for him could grow so strong, but they seemed only to strengthen with each passing day. Shaking her head, she turned back to the forest. She knew she was too young to be having those kinds of thoughts. She was only fourteen, and had only been such for a short time. Her own brother Tai had been alone until he was sixteen, and even that was slightly unsettling for their mother. After Tai had spent six months with Sora, their mother had realized that Tai was able to make his own decisions, and that he and Sora were very happy together.  
  
Tai had been two years older than Kari was presently when he first got involved with the opposite sex, and he had been doing quite well in school. Kari was easily keeping up with her classes now, but she knew that her mother would easily find TK to be the cause of any faltering in Kari's grades. However, it seemed that even Kari's own mother was not enough to keep her feelings for TK at bay. For the time being, she tried to shake her thoughts as to concentrate on watching the forest. Her lack of attention may have been dangerous if there was an enemy nearby.  
  
It was not long before Kari found herself entrapped in her thoughts of TK again. This time, however, it was induced by her dream. As she had slept, her dreams had taken her to a parallel world in which she and TK were together, living a happy and healthy life together. TK was working as an architect for a large Japanese firm. Kari had been in charge of her own floral business, thanks to her mother's influence. Their children had been unclear, but evident in the world. However, at one particularly clear part of the dream, TK had appeared at her floral shop, walked behind the counter and, as he embraced her, whispered, "I love you, Hikari."  
  
It was so strange how her dream had been so clear at that single point, how real the voice had sounded. It was that point which stood out from her dream and it was the point she never wanted to forget. From all of her dreams, nothing had ever been so clear and precise, especially in a dream involving another person from real life. She leaned back to a horizontal position on the ground, reveling on how safe and secure she had felt in TK's arms, even though they had been imagined. She could only hope that she would ever be so lucky to be able to live out that dream.  
  
It was then that another thought struck her. She knew how strong her feelings for TK were, and she assumed that, by his actions, he felt much the same way. Nevertheless, it seemed that with each passing day, TK's life was placed in greater and greater danger. He had fought his way through a multiple drones and was able to escape those battles undamaged. He had even been able to face down her spider captors a few days ago. Then again, it seemed that today's, or by this point yesterday's battle had been more exhausting for TK. With the added strain of time on watch, he was likely to be running low on energy. Kari knew TK had a lot of stamina, something he had shown again and again in his basketball games. She hoped it was strong enough to endure that kind of punishment for another few days  
  
All of Kari's worries summed to the fear that TK may fall victim to a swing of a sword, or the venomous spine of some other forest creature. Whatever the source, it was frightening for Kari to imagine something happening to TK, perhaps even taking his life. That thought was particularly disturbing. All the fears made Kari come to a resolution. She knew that it had to be filled out before it was too late. By whatever means necessary, Kari knew she had to inform TK of her feelings, and make sure that her love for him could protect him from even the most deadly assaults. Should either of them be struck down, she wanted to still be linked to him by their love for one another.  
  
That was, of course, if TK had the same feelings for her. TK had many female friends and although Kari was obviously his best friend, she never knew how far his care and kindness towards her would go. Kari shook the thought from her head, assuring herself that TK did return her love, regardless of the fact that he had never spoken such.  
  
She then considered the first time she had brought up the subject with TK back in the cave nearly a week ago. TK had been so evasive that it was almost enough to make her cry. Perhaps he had felt it was a trap. TK was cautious, but she didn't think that was the reason. It was possible that he had been trying to protect her since TK was known to always put his friends' well being above his own. His replies, on the other hand, didn't really fit together in that mindset. There was also the possibility that TK had been scared to admit his feelings. That thought stuck with her for some time.  
  
After mulling it over, that idea sounded like a logical explanation. TK may have felt what Kari knew he did and may have wanted to express it, but his inhibitions of fear were so strong, so fearful of rejection, that he had evaded directly answering Kari's questions. TK was not one to have fears, but if he were to hurt Kari or himself by answering truthfully, Kari knew that he would never forgive himself. She hoped that at the next opportunity, when Kari brought up the subject again, TK would be able to express his feelings without reservations. After all, if he did truly feel something for Kari, she was more than ready to accept and return that love.  
  
Sitting up, Kari felt that she had ignored her guard duties. Looking over at where Maddie had been, she saw nothing. Kari found this very unsettling until she noticed movement to her right. Looking over, Kari saw Maddie investigating something in the darkness. Rising, Kari moved to check on what was keeping Maddie so entranced.  
  
Maddie, her senses still fully alert, turned on Kari as she approached. Maddie relaxed upon seeing that it was a friend, rather than an enemy. She then turned around, continuing to stare into the shadows in front to her.  
  
Reaching her side, Kari looked over Maddie's shoulder, into the bleak surroundings of grays and blacks. "What are you watching?" Kari asked, only to be silenced by Maddie's hand over her mouth.  
  
"Something that we don't want to know we're here," Maddie whispered in response, lowering her hand. Kari continued to peer into the gloom, but was unable to pick out any moving objects.  
  
After a moment, Maddie raised her gauntleted arm in a silent motion. Her finger pointed up into a tree some thirty feet off. Looking at the branch, Kari did see something, although she was not sure what it was she saw. But what Kari could make out did nothing to ease the tense moment.  
  
Two leering eyes were watching those in slumber, unblinking in its watch. There was little else on the branch, save the small blob of particular darkness that seemed to house the leering eyes. But it was then that the eyes moved, locking on the two girls. The eyes did little, and although Kari was wished to run, her body could not move. This was due not only to her immense fear, but Maddie's hand holding her own. Maddie held still as well. Although the eyes may have made out the figure of the two girls, they passed over them and returned to staring at the remaining six of the group. Maddie then made her move.  
  
With the eyes unseeing of Maddie's quick action, she aimed her gauntlet-clad arm at the creature in the tree. Again muttering an incantation, Maddie summoned fiery energy to her aid. This time, however, the spell formed a projectile. Maddie launched the molten spear from her hand at the beast in the tree. A howl followed, the eyes unmoving as the fire clung to the creature and thoroughly torched it. As the damage the creature sustained increased, it fell from its perch. Landing with a soft thud, the fire dwindled to a single point of light before dying completely.  
  
Maddie extracted the fallen enemy from the underbrush. Maddie then brought the body back into the firelight, hoping to further examine her catch. In the light, Maddie and Kari found that their observer had been a robot.  
  
Now partially melted, the remains of the robotic scout were warped. The two eyes, although supposedly used for seeing, contained rather unusual devices. The left pupil was actually a microphone, used to gather sound. The right pupil housed a small lens that, when broken off, revealed a small camera. Whoever had operated such a device clearly had been keeping an eye on the group's movements.  
  
Kari wondered how long they had been tracked. They had held watches only once before this night. Now it seemed that such an idea might have been a poor move. It was very possible that spies had been watching them their entire journey, giving out their coordinates to their adversaries and thus making them easy ambush targets. Whatever their beliefs, it was clear that they were being watched now, and that dangers could only be increased if any information had been returned to the controller of the scout.  
  
"What is it?" Kari asked after a moment of study.  
  
"A mechanical scout, from what I see," Maddie responded, searching through the other parts of the robot.  
  
"So, we've been watched?"  
  
"It seems that way; it would explain how we are always attacked by the drones head-on. These forests are huge, and to narrow down our location would have required sentries."  
  
"Who do you think sent these robotic things after us, anyway?" Kari continued, curiosity taking over.  
  
Maddie thought for a moment, a slight shudder running down her back. "No, that's not possible," she muttered, scared by her own thought.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," Maddie covered, shaking her head. "I guess I got a little lost in thought there. Anyway, I'm not sure who could be sending all of these robots after us. I would assume that the commanders of the drones and robots are in control of them, but I'm not sure. All I know is that whoever is commanding them is serious about eradicating us."  
  
A chill went down Kari's spine at hearing those words. She tried to shake the feeling of deep foreboding it brought, but could not completely free herself. Now not only did she fear a final confrontation, but she was nearly sure of its coming. Maddie, however, seemed relatively unconcerned.  
  
"Don't fret, Kari," Maddie said as calmly as she could. "There's nothing out here we can't face. We'll be out of here before you know it. The sun is rising for us already. Perhaps you should sneak in another hour or two of sleep before we break camp?"  
  
Kari nodded, grateful to be able to return to her slumber. She could only wish that her dream from before would come again so she could feel the sensations of being in TK's arms again. As she rose from the dispatched robot, Kari moved back to her original bedding area. The dream of TK's embrace clear in her mind, Kari was all too willing to go back to her dream world and be joined once again with her beloved.  
  
Maddie, on the other hand, loathed the thought of sleeping any more than what she needed to operate. Instead, she opted to make another pass around the camp for any accomplices of the spy she had captured. Moving slowly and carefully, Maddie circled the full circumference of the clearing.  
  
As the eyes on the elder female left the immediate premises, the two eyes remaining open rose slightly. Its memory banks were damaged, but the little scouter robot was able to figure that it was now on the ground. It also found that its movement facilities were heavily damaged and that it could therefore not return to its master. As the last-ditch effort, the scouter robot ejected a part of its body, the recording facilities. The machine could only hope that its launch had been successful, and that its master would use the data for his conquest over the eight it had spied upon. With that, the generator of the drone collapsed from extensive damage, and the eyes closed. They were never to open again.  
  
As none of the group noticed the launch of the drone's memory banks, none of them could be sure that their position was still unknown, as if they would make the remainder of their journey in peace. On the contrary, they were now all but ensured that they had yet to face the largest battle of their young lives. 


	8. I Knew I Loved You

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1 - Evacuation : Chapter 7 - I Knew I Loved You  
  
A calm breeze passed over the group, unsettling TK in his sleep. Rolling over, TK's dream was broken, as earlier that night, by a gentle shaking. He then heard his name in the beautiful voice that he could never refuse. Yielding his dream to consciousness, TK opened his eyes, rubbing the sleep from them as he did so. When he removed his hands, he saw Kari leaning over him, a calm smile across her lips.  
  
"Good morning, TK," she said, looking into his eyes.  
  
"Hey," TK replied, lost for any other words. Kari's beauty easily captivated him. He felt especially vulnerable to her charm now; her unkempt hair, her eyes shimmering with the morning light, as well as the beautiful smile upon her face pressed greatly on his heart. Breaking the trance that had fallen over them, TK brushed a lock of hair out of Kari's face. Her reaction to his touch was even more fulfilling for the boy. Kari then sat down beside TK, allowing him to sit up.  
  
"What's the plan for today?" TK asked as he sat up, although he already knew the answer.  
  
"Well, the forest ends a few more miles from here," Kari answered. "We should be able to clear this jungle before dusk." As she spoke, Kari's obnoxious bangs fell once again into her eyes, only to be tossed aside by a soft stroke of TK's hand. Feeling TK's hand against her face sent a shiver down her spine, and she restrained her urge to show affectionate appreciation. Instead, she responded with a simple, "Thanks,"  
  
"No problem," He responded, standing as he spoke. "Sounds like we're pretty much home free, too. I would expect one more battle on the edge of the forest, but it shouldn't be too difficult after what we've seen so far." Looking about, TK realized that the digimon and Ivan were still asleep. Maddie, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen. "Hey, Kari, why'd you get me up so early? Or is everyone else just sleeping in? And what happened to Maddie?"  
  
"Maddie went off to make a perimeter check," Kari said. She then rose to her feet, standing beside TK. Wrapping an arm around him, she said, "Otherwise, I just wanted to thank you for being so brave all through this trip. You always make me so proud you're my friend, TK."  
  
TK returned the gesture, pulling Kari into an embrace. "Thanks, Kari," he murmured softly in her ear. "You've been very brave yourself; I'm proud to have you as my best friend, too." Kari squeezed TK as he said this, unable to hold her emotions in entirely.  
  
TK had never found himself in any intimate position before, nor had he been at ease when discussing love. Yet he now found himself at peace, holding Kari, gently rocking her back and forth. Likewise, Kari felt truly comforted in TK's arms, able to let her cares and concerns fall from her shoulders.  
  
The two stayed in one another's arms for several minutes, reveling in the comfort they brought to one another. It wasn't until then that it dawned upon them what they were experiencing. TK was the first to comment.  
  
"Hey, Kari," he began, "Does anything feel – I don't know – different to you?"  
  
Kari understood what TK was describing and nodded against his chest. "Yeah, something does feel strange. I wonder what it could be?"  
  
TK smirked, catching the sarcasm in her voice. He then decided to play along. "I'm not sure; maybe it means I should do something."  
  
Kari pulled away a bit, looking up into TK's eyes. "Like what?" she asked with feigned innocence, her eyes shining as she waited for a response.  
  
"I think it goes something like this." TK said before swinging Kari around in an impromptu dance. He led her through what he'd figured would be a simple dance, but soon found that they were rotating at a comical rate. Laughing as they spun about, TK and Kari were dizzy in only a few moments. All balance dissipated rapidly. TK collapsed to the ground on his back, Kari falling on top of him. Gasping and laughing simultaneously, TK attempted to regain his poise.  
  
"Well, that was fun," TK commented before laying his head back to try and stop the spinning images in his head.  
  
"Yeah, Kari agreed, snuggling herself up against TK. Resting her head on his chest, she continued, "but I do feel something's different." This time she spoke in a much more serious voice.  
  
TK, having regained equilibrium, looked down at her, his arms instinctively wrapping around her. "I know, Kari," TK said, one hand again brushing Kari's hair from her face.  
  
Kari looked up into TK's azure eyes, seeing his kind smile beaming down upon her. She could never refuse his smile; she always loved to it see on TK's face. She knew then that her feelings for TK were mirrored, regardless of whatever he had said in the past. She knew then how much she loved him, and that she never wanted to leave him. Pulling herself up a bit more, she stared down into TK's eyes, TK looking back with warm emotion.  
  
TK stared up into Kari's eyes, glimmering as they did when she was around him. TK never would have guessed, however, that such was a display of her incredible love and devotion to him. Furthermore, TK never would have guessed that his own actions had been such clear signals of his undying love for the girl, as well as his never-ending loyalty to her. Still holding her, he finally forced words through his throat.  
  
"I-I think I figured out what that feeling is, Kari," he said softly, his eyes still locked on hers. Again his hand brushed her hair out of her eyes, even if it would only momentarily avert the problem. But a moment was all TK needed to make his point.  
  
"Oh, and what is it?" Kari asked softly, desperately wanting TK to make the first move; although she knew how she felt, she didn't have the courage to act first.  
  
TK swallowed hard, rallying himself for what he knew he needed to say. Perhaps their foreplay had shown his feelings, but he knew that he still needed to say the words. "I think-I think it means that I-I like you Kari. I think that's what it means; that I like you. Not only as a friend, but also as more than that. I'm really hoping that you feel the same way, but if you couldn't, I'd understand and I-" Kari cut him off by placing a single finger on his lips.  
  
"Don't think like that, TK," she whispered, their eyes still locked as they lay on the grassy cove in the woods. "Don't think that way because I like you, too, TK. I don't know how long it's been different, but it's never been so wonderful to spend time with you. I like you, TK, and I like you as more than a friend." No further words were necessary, as understanding passed unspoken between the two youth, serene in the company of one another.  
  
Kari slowly lowered her head towards TK's, her eyes still locked on his. Kari moved at such a rate that TK barely detected it. Barely detected it, that is, until he found Kari's lips pressed against his own. Under any other circumstances TK may have felt surprised, or perhaps even disgusted. With Kari, nothing felt out of place; his eyes slid shut as he reveled in the love and passion Kari gave him through her lips. Locked in the kiss for several moments, it was only the need for oxygen that broke the two apart. Catching his breath, TK rolled Kari over, placing himself on top of her. He then joined his lips to hers again, hoping to send Kari some of the same intense sensations she had sent through to him.  
  
TK achieved his goal as Kari's body surged with energy unlike anything she had ever felt. The love and comfort of TK's arms and lips brought Kari a near-heavenly sensation that she never wanted to end. After another few minutes, TK broke the kiss. Looking into his eyes, Kari saw the same love and comfort she had felt mirrored in his eyes.  
  
Kari pulled TK against herself, joining in a loving embrace. Her eyes shimmered as her mind finally acknowledged the fact that what she had never thought could come to pass had, in fact, come to be. TK, the one and only boy she had ever loved, or indeed would ever love, returned her emotions equally, if not even more so. She couldn't imagine a more perfect beginning to such a day. She marveled in the simple pleasures of holding the boy she had dreamt about so often.  
  
"I suppose I should've guessed you felt this way about me, Kari," TK whispered in her ear. It may have been intuition, but he never questioned what he felt. Furthermore, the compassion he saw in her sparkling eyes always assured him of their future together, and the fact that Kari would always be his best friend. He knew it was more than a little crazy, but he believed, "I knew I loved you, since the day I met you, maybe even before then. It's like I dreamed you into life. It's a feeling I've been waiting for. Now that it's here, I know it's right."  
  
"I know what you mean, TK," Kari said. She had never found any reason in her feelings. It just gave her this sense of completion when she was with him. In his eyes, she could always find what she was looking for. She also knew she could depend on TK, be it during this journey or any other that might arise. It sounded crazy to her as well, but Kari knew that what she felt was true. "I knew I loved you, too. It seems like I've just been awaiting this: I knew you were always there for me. I just needed to figure it out. And now that I have, I know why it was so important." Kari finished by giving TK an extra-tight squeeze, one that TK returned.  
  
TK then pulled away, gazing into Kari's enchanting eyes one last time before linking his lips to hers again. It felt as though angels danced around them, hailing the completion of the lives of the two children, bonded by the holy love of their crests and the true love of their hearts.  
  
TK released Kari, his gaze never leaving her eyes as hers never left his own. "It'd be nice to get a little extra sleep," TK commented, smiling down at his beloved. "After all, you did wake me up early."  
  
Kari nodded, then rolled over on top of TK. "It's fine by me so long as I can use you as a pillow, TK," Kari said with her mock-innocent voice. TK couldn't help but chuckle at Kari's idea.  
  
"Alright, it's a deal," TK responded, holding Kari against him. "But you get to be the pillow next time." Thus the two fell into peaceful slumber after TK's whispered, "I love you, Kari," and Kari's response.  
  
"I love you, too, Takeru."

Maddie returned from her third excursion. Having found no further threats in the area, she concluded that the spy had been merely preliminary and that the enemy forces were yet to come. She assumed that it was nearly morning, so Ivan would soon be awake. However, she found that the camp no longer had anyone on watch. Even more surprising was the fact that Kari had fallen asleep on top of TK, with TK's arms wrapped around her. Smiling to herself, she realized that one of Ivan's goals for this journey had been obtained.  
  
Moving to Ivan's side, Maddie roused him from his sleep. Ivan rolled over, looking up into Maddie's eyes. "Welcome back," he said, looking quite alert.  
  
"I thought you were asleep," Maddie said, surprised.  
  
"I was," he replied, sitting up. "That is, until TK and Kari crashed to the ground from their little courting ritual."  
  
"Courting ritual?" Maddie asked in an amused tone.  
  
"Well, I don't know how to better describe it. They started dancing, but ended up spinning a few too many times and collapsing from dizziness. It was indeed funny to hear: 'ha ha ha – crash.'" Maddie couldn't help but laugh at the thought.  
  
"I just hope that whoever gives _me_ a courting ritual knows how to keep their equilibrium," Maddie joked.  
  
"Or has a really big pillow ready to fall on," Ivan replied with a slanted grin, rising to his feet. He then extended a hand to help Maddie up, which she took. "I suppose now we ought to get some food prepared, huh?"  
  
Maddie nodded. "Yeah, I'm starved. Those night watches sure leave you hungry,"  
  
"I know what you mean," Ivan said as he opened his duffel bag. Extracting all of the proper equipment to prepare the meal, he got straight to work. Maddie set out to retrieve water and returned to see Ivan occupied with the slicing of some digital herb that held the property of being incredibly thin. Even with his precision knife, Ivan needed to make several attempts before he was successful in halving each leaf.  
  
"Need a hand?" Maddie offered, setting the water-filled pails down by the ashes of the fire. It had again been extinguished by the wind.  
  
"I think I can handle a few Emyht leaves, Maddie," Ivan said. As if on cue, Ivan pushed down on the blade a bit too much and ended up thrusting the cutting board out from under him into a nearby tree. Shaking his head in exasperation, Ivan realized that Maddie was giggling at his misjudgment. "Yes, I'm sure that is just so amusing, Maddie," Ivan said dryly as he extracted the cutting board from the tree.  
  
"It is!" Maddie insisted. After regaining her poise, Maddie continued, "Are you sure you wouldn't like some help?"  
  
"I suppose," Ivan responded. Then he added with a smirk, "So long as you don't mind being on the receiving end of the cutting board when it gets launched next."  
  
"You worry about getting those leaves cut, I'll worry about the projectile cutting board," Maddie said, kneeling to hold the board in place. A few minutes later, a small pile of finely chopped Emyht leaves was ready to be added to the batter.  
  
Some twenty minutes later, the meal was prepared and the dishes set out for each of the members of the group. Awakening the others, Ivan and Maddie joined them in eating their first meal of the day. The watches from the previous night left everyone especially hungry. Soon, the entire meal had been consumed. Cleaning up was therefore much easier. It took only another half an hour to get the group ready for travel.  
  
Giving the temporary campsite a final check, Ivan nodded to the group. Slinging the duffel bag over his shoulder, he said, "It seems like we've got everything, let's head out and get to Secondary Village. We should be able to get there by the end of the day. Come on, the end is in sight!" The group nodded in response, knowing that only a few more hours would place them on the out of the cursed woods. However, they held no knowledge of the great perils awaiting them in that time.

Ivan led the way through the forest, the path having separated once again. The trees, tall and imposing, were ubiquitous but no longer overbearing. Ivan was still able to follow his intended path without use of his weapon to remove outlying branches or undergrowth. As it was, the trek was quite clement. Ivan found his concentration slipping away; thoughts of things other than returning Kari and TK to their respectful planet entered his mind.  
  
In all honesty with himself, Ivan knew that his thoughts focused on the girl trailing a few feet behind, humming a merry song to herself from what seemed now to be ages past, back when she had been in the Real World. He used to experience nostalgia about those days, but they had left him after a while. He assumed Maddie always had them, as her memories of Jason were still strong. However, TK and Kari had brought about the feeling of homesickness for both of them. In any event, it wasn't nostalgic thoughts enticing him now; it was his dreams about Maddie.  
  
He had dreamed about Maddie for some time now, perhaps even since the day they had met. That was a day he would never forget.  
  
Maddie had been the first recruited to the Digital world as a dragoon. She was called in by Kilvaramon the Phoenix. Ivan arrived about a month afterwards and spent a while being lectured by Azulongmon. Then, being sent out into action, the digimon decided to send the humans together to heighten their safety. Thus, Ivan and Maddie met, ushered out into the Digital Realm with no more than the instructions of their digital wards and the gifts they had received. Nevertheless, they were friends from the start.  
  
Azulongmon had roused Ivan from sleep early that morning. Ivan had known he was to be sent out into the Digital World that day, no longer under the careful guidance of the dragon digimon. The boy had trained with Ivani for a week and could handle the basics of his controls with ease. He had also taken lessons with his blade from Azulongmon; he could now differentiate a thrust from a strike from a parry. He still had a lot more to learn, and Azulongmon felt that it was best he learn it in the field. The only other thing Ivan knew about his release was that another dragoon was to accompany him, who had been training under another godly digimon. This other person was training as a healer of sorts, the person's talents lying in the field of medicine. He didn't know that this person was Maddie, nor even the sex of the person; he knew only that they were to work together until they both were ready to take on their full responsibilities. Ivan left the training grounds of Azulongmon after eating and preparing for his first day on duty.  
  
Ivan's first task was to meet his companion at a location known as Infinity Mountain. This required a trip over roughly five hundred miles, and Ivan, still new at operating Ivani, spent an hour realizing that he needed to fly across the leagues of water that separated Azulongmon's domain from the island that the mountain had made. After discovering how to use the engines on Ivani to their full extent, he reached his destination with ease.  
  
Upon touching down, he recalled Ivani and took a look around his location. He was awe-stricken by what he saw. Never before had he beheld so much at once. The digimon's cities, the vast forests, the plateaus, the mountain chains, the rivers, and so many other sites of wonder filled his vision. It was as if he were looking at a colored map, complete with animated cities and wilderness. Then he heard a roar behind him. It was not an animalistic roar, but the more constant, blaring noise given off by an engine. Sure enough, another Dragoon became visible on the horizon, swiftly approaching the monstrous mountain. Glinting in the sun, Ivan saw that the dragoon was not colored with whites, silvers, and blues as his own, but rather with colors of fire. Reds, oranges and yellows adorned the foreign craft, as well as an unusual apparatus attached to the right arm. Ivan only had a few moments to contemplate this dragoon, for it landed, a bit clumsily, some twenty feet from him.  
  
"Are you alright?" Ivan called, running over to the new dragoon.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," The robot replied, straightening up from the landing. At its full height, the robot was at an even height with Ivan, which he found strange. Ivan's dragoon added several inches to his height, and although this dragoon didn't look built for combat as much as his, it still had the appearance of increasing the height of its pilot. Ivan hadn't really known what to expect, but a shorter pilot was something he hadn't thought of.  
  
Ivan also noticed another thing. Now that the dragoon was standing next to him, he could see that it had feminine characteristics. Ivan then realized that his companion was a girl, another thing that hadn't crossed his mind.  
  
"Hey, kid, are you just gonna stare at me all day?" the dragoon said, head cocked to one side. Ivan quickly shook his head, remembering his manners.  
  
"No, of course not," Ivan said, flustered. Regaining his poise, he continued, "It's just strange how your dragoon's very different from my own. I suppose that's because yours is designed as a field medic, while mine's made for defensive combat."  
  
"Yep," replied the dragoon. Then, the pilot triggered something from inside the Dragoon; the head dislodged from the body and slid back, revealing the pilot's head.  
  
Although it was three years ago, Ivan still remembered seeing Maddie's face for the first time. Her bright brown eyes shining with energy and vitality. Her light brown, highlighted hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, but her bangs dropped on to frame her face. Her skin held a light tan. Her small ears could only be defined as beautiful, and the same was true of the nose. Her pink lips, curled into her trademark smile that always sent a surge down Ivan's spine, were just as incredible to Ivan then as they were today.  
  
Maddie spoke after a moment, breaking Ivan's trance, "My name's Madelyn. Pleased to meet you, Mr."  
  
"Ivan," Ivan said quickly, shaking his head again to toss his thoughts aside. Then, more calmly, "The name's Ivan, Ivan Ishara."  
  
"Well then, pleased to meet you, Mr. Ishara," Maddie said, then started to whisper something to herself. Light soon burst forth, the dragoon armor receding from Maddie's body. After a moment, the light receded, leaving Maddie in her general clothing on the mountaintop with Ivan. "As I said, I'm Madelyn, Madelyn Altair. But no one ever calls me Madelyn anymore. I go by Maddie now. I think it suits me better."  
  
"Very well, Maddie," Ivan said, bowing. "It's a pleasure to meet you."  
  
An awkward silence followed, neither knowing what to say to the other. Ivan had never been especially skilled at conversation, and had not expecting to be face to face with a girl such as Maddie. He knew, however, that he had to try and make her a bit more at ease, as well as himself.  
  
"So, you're a dragoon, huh?" Ivan mentally kicked himself after he realized what he had said.  
  
"Well, yeah, I think I am, unless there was some miscommunication and I'm now a dragon." She smirked.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to say-"  
  
"It's OK, I was about to say something stupider anyway."  
  
"And what would that be?"  
  
"Never mind, it's nothing you need to worry about."  
  
"Oh, come on, please?"  
  
"I'd really rather not-"  
  
"_Please_?"  
  
Maddie sighed. "Alright, alright, fine. But then you have to go through with it, alright?"  
  
"Go through with what?"  
  
"What I was going to say. It's something I wanted you to do. It's a kind of way I greet people."  
  
"Alright, it's a deal."  
  
"OK: I was gonna ask if you could do a cartwheel,"  
  
"A cartwheel?" Ivan said after a moment of surprise.  
  
"Yeah, can you?"  
  
"I don't think-"  
  
"You promised, Ivan," Maddie stated with a playful glare.  
  
He sighed, giving Maddie a quizzical look. Ivan was athletic, but cartwheels had never been his area of expertise. Holding his hands up above his head, Ivan threw himself onto his side. Bringing himself up onto his hands, he found that he had lost momentum. Unsure of what to do, Ivan simply held himself straight. After a moment, Maddie's giggles reached him, and he craned his head to look at her.  
  
"What so funny?"  
  
"Sorry, I just didn't expect you to do _that_." Maddie then walked over, kneeling down in front of Ivan. "Want some help?"  
  
"Sure," Ivan said in a strained voice, still holding himself stiff. Maddie stood up, and poked Ivan in the side. Ivan, losing his balance as his muscles contracted on him, fell over onto the ground. Maddie's laughter reverberated in his ears as he lay in a miserable pile on the earth. Ivan shuffled to his feet and looked demurely downward, humiliated by what had just taken place.  
  
Then Maddie's face appeared, smiling up at him, her arms around his neck. "Thanks for being a good sport with that," She said in an endearing tone, "You're very kind to put up with me for all five minutes that we've known one another. Not many people are that accepting," Maddie's tone turned serious as she continued.  
  
"No problem, Maddie," Ivan said, dismissing his depression and humiliation. "I'm always glad to be of help."Again a wave of uneasy silence came, and Ivan realized how close they really were. He took a quick step away from Maddie, breaking her grip.

"Well, shall we set out?" Ivan asked.  
  
"Sounds great, Ivan," Maddie said, a slight connotation in her words that Ivan didn't understand. At the moment, he shrugged it off and started to lead the way down the mountain.  
  
"Wait," Maddie called, suddenly stopping. "Can I take a look around here first? I've never been here; we don't even know where we're going."  
  
Ivan paused, thought, and realized she was right. "Where _are _we supposed to go?" he asked himself.  
  
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," Ivan said, jogging back to Maddie's side. "If you weren't assigned anywhere to go, and I wasn't either, perhaps we're just supposed to wander around?"  
  
"Maybe," Maddie replied slowly, apparently thinking of a more rational answer. "I think it might just be some time for us to get the hang of all this – but isn't it amazing?" She gestured out over the vast space of the island.  
  
"Yeah, and now we're in charge of protecting it."  
  
"Just us?"  
  
"As far as I know. Just us."  
  
Ivan watched Maddie fall into thought. He realized what she must have been thinking of as well. They were the two people, out of all humanity, chosen to defend the Digital world all alone. One was male, the other female. It seemed more than a little suggestive. It was not a thought that he was necessarily opposed to, but he was thoroughly inexperienced in any manner of a relationship with a girl his age. Shaking his head, he continued.  
  
"Don't worry about it, we'll only be working together until we get to know our surroundings."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Maddie replied, shaking her head to rid herself of her thoughts.  
  
Ivan thought for a moment, ultimately deciding upon letting Maddie decide on where to go. "Well, Maddie, where would you like to head out to? See anywhere you want to investigate?"  
  
Maddie's eyes roamed over the space below them. She then looked up at Ivan. "I'm not sure; I'm just happy to stay here for now, I suppose. I mean, we have the best vantage point of everything, right?"  
  
"Good point," Ivan said, taking a look out over the space below. "And I suppose we ought to get acquainted, too, if we're gonna work together,"  
  
"Alright, then I'll start," Maddie said, walking to the center of the mountaintop and sitting down. "My name's Madelyn Altair, I'm twelve years old since last September. I lived in California and had a boyfriend for the past three months. We broke up a month ago, though. I was all right in school. I especially enjoy sciences; I can't stand English. My parents never got along, and it always made me feel bad. I went to live with my aunt though, so then it wasn't bad. Then I got an E- mail, and it eventually brought me here. I love to run and do just about any other physical activity; my parents always said I have too much energy. I like the outdoors, but indoors are fun, too. I love to act in theater and, above all, I love life!" Maddie paused, seeming quite out of breath. "You?" she concluded.  
  
Ivan, a bit surprised by the tumble of words Maddie had let out, took a second to start, "Well. I'm Ivan Ishara, I'm 12 years old, and I've lived in California for as long as I can remember. I've never had a girlfriend, nor really cared for one. School's never a challenge; I aced most all of my courses. I always enjoy math, but I find History an extreme bore. My parents both died, and I lived with my Grandma and Grandpa for a while. Then I got an E-mail, too. I'm really into hiking and exploring; working with computers is always fun, too. I love outside and inside, and I especially enjoy acting, impressions, and comedy, nearly anything in Drama. And, of course, life rocks!" a moment of hurried breathing followed before Ivan regained his poise and continued, "Would you mind telling me why you had me do a cartwheel? I'd never have someone I meet do acrobatics like that."  
  
"Oh, that," Maddie said with a nervous laugh. "That's something I came up with back in the Real World with some of my friends. We're all very insane, you see, so we decided on coming up with some wacky way for greeting people. We invented all kinds of little stories and actions to do as a way of showing emotion to one another. For instance," Maddie stood and walked over to Ivan, holding her hand up as far as it could be stretched. She then brought it down with a crisp 'thwack' sound upon Ivan's head, causing the boy to recoil. "That is an expression of affection."  
  
"I see," Ivan said, rubbing his head. "Well, couldn't you just hug the person or something?"  
  
"I could," Maddie said slowly. She then continued, "But where's the originality in that? Or the fun? That little tactic not only shows affection, but gets some very amusing reactions out of people."  
  
"If that's how you show affection, I don't even want to know what your love for someone would feel like."  
  
"Well, one person got to experience it."  
  
"Oh? Was that your former boyfriend?"  
  
"Former indeed. Jason, the boy, was someone I really wish I hadn't gotten upset." Maddie's eyes seemed to falter, her expression changed from the carefree shade it had been. A dour expression was brought on by her memory of Jason. Maddie turned quickly, walking over to the edge of the mountain. She sat down in silence, dangling her legs over the edge.  
  
Ivan, unsure of what to do, took a hesitated for a moment before moving to Maddie's side. He sat down beside her. He'd never really needed to comfort anyone; it was often the other way around. Nevertheless, as his arm instinctively ran itself around Maddie's slender shoulders, it felt right to him. In fact, nothing had ever given him quite the same feeling. The feeling was only enhanced as Maddie's head slid down onto Ivan's shoulder. Ivan noticed that Maddie seemed ready to cry, as if tears were on the verge of being free. Again, Ivan was unsure of what to do, but decided that his instincts had led him thus far, and he hoped they would guide him once again. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.  
  
"What made your experiences with Jason so terrible? I mean, if you're cheerful enough to smack a person on the head upon meeting them, what could be so traumatic that you'd be ready to cry?"  
  
At the mention of Jason's name, Maddie's tears could no longer be restrained. Streaming down her cheeks, Maddie's sobs consumed her with the horrible memories. So vividly imbued in her memory, they ran through her again and again.  
  
Ivan, for all of his knowledge and experience, was completely oblivious as to how a boyfriend could have such a negative effect. He was determined to find out, however, in order to ensure that he never did such things to anyone. After all, being Guardian, Ivan felt he needed to know all he could about the negative forces in the world in order to better combat them. Running his hand up and down Maddie's arm, Ivan did his best to comfort the crying girl, but to little avail. Only time's flow brought her tears to a halt. Maddie wiped her eyes, looking up into Ivan's eyes. "Thanks," she said, appreciation resonating in her voice. "No one's ever done that for me."  
  
Ivan smiled inwardly. He'd done it right. Still holding Maddie in his arms, Ivan asked, "Can you tell me about your boyfriend now? I'd really like to learn about him, what he did, if that's alright. But if you don't want to, that's-"  
  
"No, it's fine," Maddie said, cutting him off. "It helps to talk about it. But promise you won't laugh at me or get angry if I cry again, Okay?"  
  
"I promise, I wouldn't ever laugh or be angry with you if you cry again."  
  
"Thanks. So, where to begin? I suppose I should start when I met him. It must have been six months ago now. Six months. I can't believe I was with him for less than six months. It felt like an eternity; an unforgiving, painful, and depressing eternity.  
  
"I met Jason at the end of my fifth grade school year. He was in sixth grade, a friend of a friend. We were both a bit young for a relationship then, I know that now, but we were just out to have fun with one another. It felt really good to have a guy around; I didn't want to leave Jason for anything.  
  
"We spent lots of time together over the summer – nearly every day. I loved to be with him. He was big and strong for his age and very protective of me, at least in the beginning. We would go to the mall, go out for pizza, play at the park, or just walk around. And each evening he'd walk home with me, making sure I got home safely, even if it wasn't much of a walk to make. He was also very sympathetic about my parents, who had abuse problems and are now in jail. Then Jason started to get more serious.  
  
"It was probably a month or so into the relationship that Jason started showing signs of abuse. When we went to hang out, he purposefully excluded my other friends. He tried to get me to spend time only with him, and I, being my naïve self, went along with it. He said he loved me, didn't he mean it?  
  
"Then Jason started to use verbal abuse. It began with little things: the clothes I wore were too conservative, my hairstyle was too bland, or my earrings weren't the right color. I changed according to what he said. What else would I have done? I wanted to please him so badly. But even after I changed what he asked, more things came up, and I changed to fit those requirements, too.  
  
"It was in the beginning of August that the physical abuse began. It, like everything else, started small. Grasping my hand too tightly when we walked down the street, pushing me through a doorway, and hurting me when he hugged me became commonplace. He, of course, passed it off as being the natural way for a guy to act and that he only did it to show me that he wanted me to be safe. Then he started to be more violent: he pushed me more, hit me in the arm, and threw me into the walls at the library or to the ground at the park whenever he was angry. I had so many bruises. I was worried my guardians would see, but they never found out. I just accepted my beatings as treatment for something I'd done to displease Jason. And each time, he would always put on a little show of affection afterwards, intending to fool anyone who had seen what happened to me. It also reassured me of his love for me, and that his abusing me was something I'd earned. He was really trying to love me despite my flaws.  
  
"After one particularly painful experience, I didn't want to go home for fear that my aunt would see the black and blue in my arm. Jason invited me to stay at his house, but I couldn't go. If he was bold enough to hurt me in public, I don't want to know what he had planned for time we had alone. I trusted him only so far, and his beatings had been getting harsher to the point that I didn't feel safe being alone with him. I ended up going to a friend's house, thankfully. If I hadn't gone to her for help, I may not have made it this far. See, Jason had planned for me to be hurt that day and for me to want to go to his house. He'd set up a special bed – a bed for two people. He also had a knife under his pillow. This was all disclosed after the police reported him. But I'm getting ahead of myself; let me go back to my friend's house.  
  
"After leaving Jason at the park, I ran to my friend's house. Luckily, she answered the door. She gasped as she saw my arm, and then pulled me to her room. She closed the door before turning to me and asking what had happened. I told her everything I just told you: the psychological abuse, the verbal abuse, and the physical abuse. I found myself defending what Jason had done, too. I may have been in pain, but I still felt that I was the one at fault, not him. It probably was me. But my friend, Lucy, said Jason was wrong to hurt me; I hadn't done anything wrong. She also said she could get me out of the pain and suffering. I didn't believe her about it being Jason's fault, but if she had a way for me to redeem myself and make Jason happy as I had in June, I was ready to go along with it. However, all she did was record my testimony.  
  
"I slept over that night, and the next morning I woke up to find her on the phone, the recording playing. She was relaying my speech to the police. It was only a few hours before we got a return call stating that Jason had been apprehended, his room searched, and the knife found in the queen-size bed. Jason didn't admit to any of the abuse charges, but witness accounts were enough to get him convicted to 10 years in juvenile detention, and later to prison, for his wrongdoing. The trail verdict came in on August 29, only a few short months after I met him.  
  
"People kept telling me it wasn't my fault, but how could it not be? I've never worn clothes that are in style, like Jason asked. I was the one who was naïve about how to act. I was the one who thought a relationship didn't take work. He abused me with good reason; I know he did. He may have been a bit harsh, but I deserved it. It hurt, but I couldn't do anything right. He did all the adapting for me that he could. My dad abused my mom to keep her in line, isn't that how all relationships work? Both people have to find a meeting point, or the relationship won't work. I guess I'm just like my mother; I'm not able to find that halfway point. Now Jason has to spend 10 years of his life behind bars. Ten years. His entire childhood will be gone; he'll have none of the opportunities that normal kids get. I suppose being here is my punishment for sending him to jail; I have to fight for my childhood now, missing life's opportunities just like him. It's fair enough, I suppose, but I still feel so terrible about sending Jason to jail. He won't ever forgive me for that. I can only hope that he won't be after me." Maddie's eyes teared up again, memories returning to her in their precise detail.  
  
Ivan was completely awestruck by Maddie's experience. He couldn't comprehend how any child, especially one so kind and innocent as Maddie, could go through such a traumatic event and still think that she was the one who had been at fault. Ivan was no expert on abuse, but he knew that to hurt another person was wrong, regardless of the reasoning. And somehow, this boy, this Jason came along and completely corrupted the girl's mind into thinking the opposite. True, it would be an effective tactic for controlling someone, but having both parties happy would have induced a more positive effect on the relationship in general.  
  
Ivan looked down at Maddie, who appeared so small and defenseless. Resting against him, her arms wound around him as she continued to cry. Ivan put his arms around her, doing what his instincts told him to do in an effort to calm the brown-haired girl. After a few moments, the sobs slowed, and then subsided completely. Maddie's head rose from Ivan's wet shoulder. She smiled, taking her hand and wiping at his shirt ineffectively. "I'm sorry about that," she said softly, her thoughts still stuck on her past. Taking another deep breath, Ivan decided on what to say to Maddie, hoping that he could give her a different perspective.  
  
"Maddie, it's OK; don't worry about the shirt. It's you that I'm worried about." Maddie looked down, studying the shoes Ivan wore. Ivan continued, "You have such an unusual view on how a guy should treat you, when it should be the exact opposite. No guy, no matter how old he is or what he thinks, ever has the right to treat you inadequately. Boys who do that are only looking for enjoyment for themselves, not for their partner. Such self-centered beliefs are what make people commit crime, take advantage of the less fortunate, and abuse people they see as inferiors.  
  
"You never did anything wrong Maddie, except perhaps be obedient to what Jason said. But that isn't something you had control over. His abuse methods were done in such a way that your self-esteem was broken down to only a fraction of what it was. Without your self-esteem, your willpower faded and you became more accepting of events, accepting as your fault when they aren't. You never did anything wrong, Maddie. Jason was the one who controlled you, made you think the way he thought, and made you do what he wanted you to do. You were never naïve on how to act in a relationship, you never thought the relationship was something to be taken for granted, and you certainly never wore the wrong clothes. Those are simply things that you can't do wrong in a relationship, especially when you show as much love and affection as you do. Whenever he said you did something wrong, he was lying. You're simply too nice to be worthy of anger. Even with the cartwheel, and the smack, I still think you're a great person. I know what you did wasn't intended to be mean, but for fun. Perhaps it was perverse fun, but still fun. If Jason couldn't see that in you and felt that what you did was meant to be mean, then I pity him for his ignorance and lack of acceptance.  
  
"I know you still think Jason was right; that you did everything wrong, and that Jason's flawless. I also understand why you think that. But you need to take at least some of the blame off of your shoulders, as it isn't you that's responsible for his actions. Jason had the right to choose to hurt you or to love you every time he got upset. He chose to hurt you, and that was the wrong choice. Some things don't have a right or wrong, but treatment of people does. You can't be abusive to a person – it's wrong. It hurts both people involved: the abuser is hurt as all actions have consequences, and the abused because of the abuser's actions.  
  
"It's the same for your parents. Your father never had any right to treat your mother like that. Your mother never committed any crime, and even if she did, it's not your father's job to judge and convict. I understand that in the past, it has been commonplace for the male to be the dominant figure. But now times have changed, and women have the same rights as men, the rights that they should have been granted in the beginning. Abusers of females are often men who view women as inferiors, still living in the past of male supremacy. It is these same people that view Africans, Hispanics, and other cultures as subordinate to white Europeans. They're wrong.  
  
"All humans have equal rights on the planet. There is no reason for any one type of human to be superior to other types. Why should a man be more important than a woman? Is it not the woman who goes through the challenges of raising a child? What is to keep a woman from becoming as strong as a man? Or take another race. Why should Africans be put down? Have they ever been offensive to us? Have they not held many peaceful assemblies in hopes of equality, only resorting to violence in extreme conditions? People cannot be categorized. People are not of a set, black or white, nor male or female, that is uniform. People are individuals; people are unique; people are special. It is this individuality, this uniqueness, this specialty that makes people not inferior or subordinate to one another, but equal in the sense that although he may have the strength, she may have the agility, or that he may have the charisma while she has the intelligence.  
  
"I don't expect you to agree with me. That's fine. I just want you to know that what Jason did was not something I could accept out of any of my friends, and that if I ever take such an action towards you or anyone else, I'll be sure to put myself in the jail cell right along with Jason. I'm not going to be a hypocrite. I say that I should treat all people with equality, and I plan to treat you just as I would treat any of my other friends back in the Real World. If you will do me the honor of simply treating me as you would your friend Lucy, or any other friend from the Real World, I'd be very happy. Although I understand it would be different with a boyfriend, the principles are the same with a friend. If we can have a good time and work together on whatever our assignment turns out to be, then I think you'll begin to see that it is possible for a boy and girl to have a perfectly fine time with no need for any abusive actions on either side."  
  
Maddie dropped her arms and sat looking out over the Digital landscape in stunned silence for a long while. Ivan also receded, dangling his arms at his side and looking outward. Slowly closing his eyes, Ivan's thoughts fluttered on to possible responses. There was one in which Maddie jumped into his arms. In a second possibility, Maddie left him there, completely disgusted by what he had said. Another showed him with Maddie's hand holding his own, still sitting on the ledge. A sudden sensation in his hand brought Ivan out of his daydream. Looking down at Maddie, he saw her smiling up at him.  
  
"Okay," She said. "I may not completely believe you, but I'm willing to give it a try. I'll treat you just as I would any other friend. In fact, I think you've had quite a friendly impact on me already. No one else has ever been so comforting for me when I retold that part of my life. After all, you seem like a good guy; I doubt you'd be the Guardian of Hope and Light otherwise." Maddie's willingness made Ivan smile back at the brown-haired girl.  
  
Squeezing her hand, he said, "Okay then, we'll give it a shot. It may be a while until we get a chance to see other people, or indeed even each other once we start regular assignments. Best to make the most of this time before we have our tragic separation for all eternity, right?" Ivan finished with an extreme melodramatic flourish.  
  
"Right," Maddie said with a chuckle, squeezing Ivan's hand in return. Maddie rested her head on Ivan's shoulder again, although not for comfort as before, but for some reason that he couldn't quite understand. But he didn't complain as the same comforting and warm feeling returned to him, looking out over the Digital World with Maddie's hand in his own.  
  
Ivan still felt as though Maddie's hand was in his own as he walked down the path. If anything troubled him, he just remembered those blissful times. True, he still had to fully convince Maddie that she had been completely free of wrongdoing in her relationship, but she had been friendly ever since. She seemed almost confused by the way Ivan treated her: completely gentle and void of violent words or actions. This was most likely due to her past experiences, but Ivan thought that there must have been some example for Maddie in her childhood; some really good, proper example of how two people should interact. But if there had not been such an example, Maddie did have an idea of how to be nice to people. Ivan worked with that, showing Maddie as best he could from his own experience how to add onto what she knew, rather than let her become an abusive person herself. He hoped that if he kept working with her, she would realize that she was free of guilt with Jason, and that he, Ivan, was the one who truly loved her. Moreover, he hoped that she loved him in return.  
  
Ivan was still off in his daydream when Maddie snuck up behind him. He had been walking in such a way that Maddie knew he was daydreaming yet again, creating the perfect opportunity for her to catch him unaware. She certainly loved the boy for all of his kind words and gentle actions, but the reactions she got when she surprised the brown-haired Guardian were moments to be cherished.  
  
Maddie walked in stride behind Ivan, carefully mimicking him. Making a sign to the others to keep quiet, she put arms in a hoop around Ivan's waist. She took care to not touch him and alert him of her presence. Then Maddie pulled in sharply on her arms, pressing her head against his back as well. Ivan, taken completely by surprise, lurched forward. Maddie took the opportunity to jump up onto Ivan's back, rearranging her arms around his neck and bracing her legs around his waist to keep her on his back. The added weight nearly forced Ivan to his knees, and invariably caused him to drop the duffel bag. But, after regaining his stature, Ivan as able to walk as he had before.  
  
"And that," Maddie called back with a flourish, "is how we mount an Ivan!" The whole scene brought the rest of the group to their knees in laughter, and soon even Ivan was laughing. Maddie whispered something in Ivan's ear, unheard by anyone else, and the only response was a nod. Ivan then turned around to speak to the others.  
  
"TK, would you mind taking the duffel bag for a distance?" TK nodded and walked forward, shouldering the black bag before walking back to Kari. "Alright; we've still got some ground to cover before lunch. Let's get going." Then turning again, Ivan continued down the path. Maddie moved herself to face Ivan, her arms and legs still grappling him. Ivan braced his arms as a seat for the girl, which she used gratefully. Maddie then rested her head against Ivan's shoulder, hoping to regain some of the sleep she had lost last night.  
  
The hours stretched on, the path winding along the river and flanked on both sides by the great digital forest. Ivan's mind was again drawn to think of the brown-haired girl in his arms, but this time he kept himself alert. Maddie had shown how lost his daydreams could make him. Had the path turned sharply, he surely would have continued walking until he hit a tree. More importantly, if an ambush had taken place, his lack of consciousness could have been fatal. Thus Ivan kept his eyes to the path, humming softly to himself as well as to the girl whom he carried.  
  
A clearing came into view as the group came around another bend of the road. Surveying the area, Ivan decided on using the spot as a rest point. "Feel free to relax," He said. "We've covered most of today's ground. We have some free time today. Judging by the light coming through the trees, I'd say we have a couple hours in which to have some fun." Ivan then whispered into Maddie's ear, rousing her from sleep. Setting her down carefully, Ivan proceeded to retrieve the duffel bag from TK.  
  
Maddie, still sleepy from her nap, went over to the river to wash her face and to wake herself up. She never would have guessed how comfortable a boy's shoulder could be for a pillow. She made a note to ask to use it again. Splashing water onto her face, she shook her head, dismissing the childish thought. Surely she wouldn't want to use some boy's shoulder as a pillow. One filled with foam or feathers was far more fitting. Then again, this was no ordinary boy whom had held her and carried her over miles of the hike. Perhaps it was that, despite the fact that a generic pillow was more comfortable, she had enjoyed being with Ivan because of her feelings for him. Perhaps love could induce feelings of comfort and safety, regardless of the circumstances. The thought made her feel warm and tingly inside, just as she did when Ivan held her like that, or when he slept beside her. She got the sensation even when he held her hand. She realized that it was true; love could bring peace to chaos.  
  
Ivan worked steadily at preparing the meal. Dismissing the others, he insisted that they enjoy themselves while they could and that he would take care of lunch for the day. Only after they left did Ivan realize that their supplies were scarce. To make it through the next couple of days would be difficult without more supplies. Leaving the campsite under the watch of Houndramon, Ivan went off into the woods in search of the needed ingredients.  
  
Hiking along, Ivan was unable to find what he required. "Well, what else could I make?" He asked himself, looking around. "I don't see any Winolar herbs, so Winolar stew is out of the question. There's no Ifergracis either. Where is everything?" Ivan continued on, hoping to find some edible resources. However, everywhere he looked, the area was void of food, and the trees only became denser around him.  
  
"This isn't working," Ivan said, shaking his head. After thinking for a moment, Ivan decided on trying to muster up a meal from the food still in the bag. Turning to go back to camp, Ivan found he wasn't quite sure where the camp was. All the trees looked identical to one another, and there were no landmarks to show him where he had come from. "How could I have been so stupid?" Ivan scolded himself. This forest, enchanted with magic, was certain to cause trouble if one wasn't careful. Ivan had been careless, and now found that he was in trouble.  
  
"What can I do now?" Ivan said, leaning against a tree as he thought aloud. "I could try my luck running through the woods, hoping to come upon the camp, or I could try calling out for help. But the path I made was too twisted to follow back, and the forest is too dense for my voice to carry far. What can I do?" It only took a moment for is question to be answered, as a voice drifted down to his ears.  
  
"Well, you could just give up," the voice said, thin and rasping. I sounded almost like a snake, slithering about his ankles.  
  
Kicking off of the tree, Ivan swung around and scanned the forest wildly for the source of the noise. A glint of steel was all that was visible as the sword passed from its sheath to his hand, ready for use.  
  
"My, my," the voice said, echoing all around Ivan. "Aren't we feisty today? I come merely to talk to you." The drawling voice put Ivan's nerves on end. Something in the voice made his blood chill.  
  
"What do you want?" Ivan called out, not letting his apprehension show. Still gazing around and above, he was thoroughly perplexed about where the voice came from.  
  
"To talk, I said. I just want to talk."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Well, a few things. First, I'd like to offer you a deal."  
  
"A deal?" Ivan's apprehension only doubled as he heard this.  
  
"Yes, a deal," the voice whispered in it's condescending, slithery tone. "You say you're lost and don't have a way to get back to your friends. Well, I can get you back to them, if you'd like. All you would have to do is pay a small fee."  
  
"A fee of what?" Ivan asked, defiance in his voice.  
  
"Well, that is your choice. I have a hungry pet to feed, and it especially enjoys people. He's been watching you and your friends and it would like to sample the selection, shall we say. Now, I have you completely cut off from your friends and thus I hold you in complete control. I could let my beastly pet run rampant over your friends, but I am a kind and generous soul. Therefore, I am allowing you the choice. Go back to your friends as I instruct, then select one of your number for me to give to my pet. If you go against my edict, I will merely take your entire party for my friend. It is for your benefit that I give you the choice. What do you wish to do?"  
  
Silence was all that could be heard for a long time. Ivan's eyes dropped to the ground. Now he was in a worse fix than before. For all he knew his friends could be in danger at that moment. Then he started to chuckle to himself. His downward gaze had caught his necklace, hanging about his neck and pulsing lightly. Why it never occurred to him before he did not know, but it registered in his mind now and he knew what he had to do.  
  
"Well, my dear friend, I'm afraid I'll have to decline your generous offer," Ivan said calmly. "I could never part with any of my friends, so I will say good-bye to you now. Have a pleasant day." With that, Ivan grasped the pendant in his hand, reciting his age-old phrase. The voice yelled something at Ivan as his transformation began, but was drowned out by the tranquility brought by Ivani. Instantly, light exploded from the gem and engulfed his body. A moment later, Ivani stood in the clearing. The forest still pressed in about him, but by launching himself upwards with the energy rockets, Ivan located his campsite. However, Ivan first scanned the forest for some probable food. It was hard to see from so far above, but Ivan did manage to locate a small patch of Juntama bushes, the fruit of which was delectable. Setting down by the bushes, Ivan collected a bunch of the small fruits in his arms. He then leapt back into the air, this time returning to the camp.  
  
Houndramon still lay in the middle of the camp, and Maddie had returned for a nap during her off time. Filmaramon had become a blanket, keeping Maddie warm as she slept. Gatomon and Patamon had also gotten the hint, asleep under a tree opposite of Houndramon. TK and Kari, however, were nowhere to be seen. Ivani dropped the fruit gently onto the grass and reverted.  
  
Houndramon padded over to Ivan as the boy returned to his cooking duties. "Where'd you go that required Dragoon energy?" He asked, sitting on his hindquarters by Ivan.  
  
"Well, I got lost. That forest can be more perplexing than I imagined. Then I decided on taking to the air to find food, which worked well enough," Ivan gestured to the large pile of Juntama fruit. "That'll make a delicious stew, won't it?"  
  
"Indeed it will," Houndramon said, snagging one of the small fruits in his teeth. "I've always enjoyed the tart flavor of these little morsels." Houndramon finished, munching on the soft sphere.  
  
"Houndramon," Ivan said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Never can resist the temptations of food can you?"  
  
"Well come on, dogs are supposed to eat whatever food is placed in front of them, right? I have to go through with at least some of my fuzzy, doggy qualities. Food is one of the more enjoyable parts of my life, so I like to put my emphasis there." Finishing with an affirmative nod, Houndramon returned to his resting spot. Shaking his head again, Ivan returned to his duties. He peeled the Juntamas and mashed up the few remaining Valancis herbs, quite potent in their sweet flavor. Ivan then found his gaze drifting to the girl asleep nearby. Seeing her only brought back his fears about what the voice he heard had said. He had refrained from telling Houndramon, in order to not alarm him, but he was still worried about Maddie's safety. Should anything happen to her, he wasn't sure what he would do.

TK looked out over the landscape before him. Never before did her remember seeing such a beautiful sight in the Digital World. Granted, most of the time he was there was spent running or fighting. Now that he took time out to look at it all, having such an extraordinary vantage point opened up a whole new aspect of the Digital World to him. The trees, covering the vast plain, amazed his eye, and the stream, how it cut through the green, yellow, and orange with a bright stripe of blue was indescribably stunning. Then again, all that he saw was nothing in comparison to the beautiful girl who rested her head against his chest. Indeed, the view was incredible, but it didn't matter what he could see over the ledge; all that mattered to TK was that Kari did return his feelings for her, fully and passionately. His arms, wrapped around her waist, gave her a loving squeeze as he rested his head on top of hers.  
  
"A beautiful view, isn't it?" Kari said to TK, looking up into eyes.  
  
"It certainly is," TK, staring back at Kari. She blushed when she realized what he meant, looking back out over the landscape.  
  
"Thanks, Takeru," she said, quietly.  
  
"What for?" he asked. She turned to face him, once again locking her gaze with his.  
  
"For being you," She said simply, placing her hands on his. "For always being there for me, for always protecting me, watching over me, and caring about me so much. No one else has ever been so devoted to me. I've never felt this way about anyone but you, Takeru. I love you; I really do." She hesitated for a moment, but TK took the initiative for her. He tilted Kari's head back, kissing her lips briefly. He then pulled her head to his chest, resting his own head on top of hers again.  
  
"You're welcome, Kari. I love you, too, more than I could ever put into words. I never want to leave you and I never plan to. I'll be with you always, my love, and nothing can change how I feel about you." TK pressed his lips to Kari's head. Kari felt her body weaken in his embrace, her body melting into TK's. She tightened her arms, keeping his arms against her, as if in fear that he may be taken away. TK's arms rubbed her stomach, holding her close. The two stayed in the loving embrace for several minutes before TK loosened his grip to look into Kari's crimson eyes.  
  
"I think we ought to head back soon, Kari," he said, regret in his voice. "The others will probably be getting worried about us soon."  
  
"Do we have to?" Kari pouted, looking up longingly into TK's eyes. "Can't we just stay here together forever? I'm happy just sitting here with you."  
  
"I know, Kari, and so am I. However, we don't want Tai or your parents to completely freak out on us. We'll have to get back sooner or later: I'm getting hungry." TK said the last part as a sheepish afterthought, suddenly realizing that it had been several hours since he had last eaten. Kari gave TK such a look that he nearly laughed at the mixed amusement and frustration in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, you," she said in mock frustration, gently shoving his shoulders. Then her puppy-dog look of desire returned, and she climbed on top of TK. "Ten more minutes?" she said softly into his ear, hoping to be alone with him for a little longer.  
  
Her soft, beautiful, and pleading eyes told him he couldn't go against her. "Alright," he said, smiling at her. "I suppose we can spend a little while longer here."  
  
"Hurray!" Kari screamed, straddling him to the ground. TK looked up into her eyes, surprised. "How about we make the most of that time?" she said, a slight tone of mischief in her voice. TK was shocked by what he heard, but after thinking for a moment, calmed himself down.  
  
"Sure," he said, wrapping his arms around Kari's waist once again.  
  
Kari wasted no time in reconnecting her lips to TK's. The loving warmth of his lips pulled her to him with irresistible force. The next ten minutes gave Kari the most wonderful feeling she had ever experienced. TK's arms held her firmly, as they joined their lips together again and again, renewing their love and compassion for one another each time they touched. Kari never wanted the sensations to stop, to let go of TK, nor to be taken from his compassionate embrace. She loved having TK in her arms and his arms around herself. Nothing had ever brought her so much love and comfort.  
  
Likewise, TK had never experienced such pleasure in his life. Kari's warm lips against his own charged him unlike anything else. Her soft, agile body pressed against his own, dazzling his senses. Her arms massaged his sides, pulling him up to her warm body as he mirrored the pull on her. Again and again, he kissed his beloved. He never wanted to be taken from Kari, or to have Kari taken away from him. The emotions only caused him to hold the girl tighter, hoping to extract every ounce of adoration and affection that he could in the short time they had alone.  
  
The full ten minutes passed, followed by five more before Kari realized that they had been making out for well over the expected time. Her stomach twisted unpleasantly. Pulling away a bit from TK, she looked again into his eyes. Her breathing was heavy, yet she smiled in spite of her fatigue. "Ready to head back yet?" she asked, the same mischievous tone in her voice.  
  
"No," TK admitted, gently raising a hand to brush Kari's hair behind her ear. "However, I believe that I won't ever be ready to go back. It's simply something we have to do." He kissed Kari one last time before lifting her up off of himself. Then, standing beside Kari, he helped her to her feet. "How about you, Kari; are you ready to go back?"  
  
"I'll be ready to go anywhere with you," she whispered in his ear, lacing her arm around his. TK smiled at her as she rested her head against his shoulder. Then, leading her back along the path to the camp from the viewing ledge they had discovered, TK felt his emotion for Kari burn stronger than ever before, making his chest feel as if it would burst. The feeling was new, yet he found it strangely familiar. His only prayer was that he could have the feeling stay. He tightened his grip on Kari's arm, a sign to himself that he was steadfast in his meaning and would always carry out his promise to the girl at his side.  
  
"There you are," Ivan said to TK and Kari as they walked up out of the woods on his right. Both blushed slightly, knowing the secret they hid from the others. Reflexively, they pulled their arms apart in an attempt to not give away their relationship.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Ivan said soothingly. "I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, Maddie had a feeling. She is the Medic of Courage and Love, after all. She's got great insight in the field from all her experiences. I've been kind of hoping it would happen here anyway. It was one of our unspoken reasons for not trying to fly to the next transportation TV. It wasn't the only reason," Ivan quickly added at seeing TK and Kari's shocked faces. "Just a minor factor is all. But aren't you glad we did it?" TK and Kari shared a sideways glance before nodding, linking their arms once again. "I figured," Ivan said with a slanted grin, returning to his meal preparation.  
  
Now nearly complete, the food gave off a delicious odor. Houndramon had returned to Ivan's side, sitting on his haunches and staring longingly at the pot. Ivan gave him an amused look of mock-sternness. Houndramon in turn sheepishly lowered his head, his ears drooping to his side. The other members had also been roused by the smell of the food, slowly reviving from slumber. TK and Kari sat down across from Ivan, hand in hand.  
  
A few minutes later, the food was finally served, much to the delight of the group members. The food was indeed worth the wait, as everyone enjoyed the great flavors and piquant spices tremendously. The only thing missing was the first-class desert. However, Ivan promised a special desert once they got to Secondary Village. After the delectable meal, Ivan and Maddie quickly washed the dishes and packed them away into the duffel bag once again. Houndramon took care of extinguishing the fire, and it took only a few moments for everyone to be ready to go.  
  
"Well, now that everyone's fed and watered, shall we be off?" Ivan asked, throwing the duffel bag strap over his shoulder. A unanimous nod ran around the party. "Very well then. Only tonight's journey remains in this forest. Before you know it, we'll be in Secondary Village." With that, Ivan turned sharply and led the party to the path once again, guiding the way to their destination, now so close on the horizon. However, the voice Ivan had heard earlier still reverberated through his head, like a shadow blanketing the coming day. 


	9. Life Like Thunder

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1 - Evacuation : Chapter 8 - Life Like Thunder  
  
"The trees have returned to their original density," Ivan called out over his shoulder. "This can only mean one thing," he continued, drawing his sword, "We're almost out."  
  
Ivan's sword then came down with a clean stroke, cleaving the intertwined branches away in front of him. Continuing his maneuvers, Ivan made a path through the immensely dense forest as he had on the other border of the forest. Maddie followed closely behind, watching the trees. The trees grew and moved at amazing rates in response, giving the impression that they were living, breathing animals and not the rooted plants that they were.  
  
Filmaramon slept on Maddie's shoulder in the form of a small cat. Over the past years, she had found the form of a cat to be most comforting to Maddie, as well as to herself, so the transformation stuck for the majority of the time she was transformed. Although not particularly effective in combat or support of others physically, Filmaramon found that her skill lied in psychological assistance for those who needed it.  
  
Houndramon walked at Ivan's side, keeping his eyes on Ivan as he rent branches from their owners. He wished he could serve some more useful purpose, but such was not possible. Although he wanted to help, his claws and teeth weren't effective against the thick wood; they worked more as forceful bites and scratches, while Ivan's sword was able to make clean cuts and slices through the digital trees. At present, all he could do was watch and wait until they had passed through the dense woods.  
  
Gatomon walked a short distance behind the Dragoons and their allies, thinking about the events of the past few days. Patamon flew above her, his mind on much the same thoughts. All the excitement had put them both on end, worrying for their partners' lives as the danger increased. And, with the enemy's strength increasing while theirs stayed the same, they were at a significant disadvantage. They had Ivan and Maddie to thank for saving their companions from destruction, as they had the power and the will to oppose these new opponents. Even TK had been helping them in combat, learning how to use the staff he was now relatively skilled with. The week that had passed in the forest had certainly taught both TK and Kari many new skills.  
  
Looking back, Gatomon remembered the other new skill the two humans had acquired recently. The way in which they hit one another with their mouths was very new. For the life of her, Gatomon could not understand why they insisted on doing it over and over as they walked; it seemed more painful than pleasurable to her. However, if it made Kari happy, then she wasn't about to argue the point. Kari's happiness and safety was, after all, Gatomon's ultimate goal in life.  
  
Patamon, too, turned to watch the two. He could not understand the reasoning behind the lip-smacking procedure that TK and Kari did as they walked along either, but he accepted it as another one of humanity's strange behaviors to entertain his or herself. If the flashing screens in TK's house could amuse them so well, for instance, hitting one another like that could be equally pleasurable. Patamon turned back to the direction he was flying as Gatomon turned about and continued walking, leaving the two humans to the activity people called kissing.

TK pulled away from Kari after planting another kiss upon her lips, looking into her crimson eyes. She smiled up at him, her arm around him tightening. Even as they followed the others, their eyes never broke the lock they had on one another. Only the brief moments when their lips were locked together did they close their eyes, daring to break the connection. TK's free hand reached up, brushing Kari's bangs out of her eyes. His other arm, currently about her shoulders, pulled her closer as he kissed her again. TK never wanted to let go of Kari, but rather to hike on forever as he and Kari gazed at each other, in joy and in love. Nothing had ever made TK feel so complete and connected, as if he was a puzzle finally finished and ready for presentation. He hoped that the composer of the puzzle would keep the picture in one piece.  
  
Kari looked up into TK's cerulean blue eyes as he pulled away from her once again. It felt like it had been only a few short moments since they left the campsite, but over an hour had actually passed. Kari didn't care, however; she was too overjoyed to be holding TK in her arms. Nothing had ever been more enjoyable for her, and if she could spend eternity the way she was, there would be nothing better she could ask for. She pulled TK close again, pressing their lips together in a loving exchange once again. Kari felt as though she were given an electric charge, a shock of passion unlike anything else. The only clear thought that came through was a desire for more.  
  
Ivan glanced over his shoulder at the couple, shaking his head as he turned back with another swing at the next branch. It almost hurt to see the other two so in love. He wanted to hold Maddie as TK held Kari. Although he regretted the thought, he was envious of TK. His feelings for Maddie were only inflamed as he saw TK and Kari. He needed to explain himself to Maddie, and soon. Otherwise, his emotions threatened to become too much for him to bear. His eyes then strayed to Maddie, who was now walking alongside him. Her presence nearly made him lurch forwards as his heart gave off an incredible surge at seeing the one who had been on his mind right next to him. Maddie, however, appeared nonchalant as she moved closer to Ivan, her eyes still on the forest in front of them. Ivan did his best to forget the thoughts and concentrate on getting out of the dreaded forest, but something in the back of his mind kept the thought there, nagging at him as he continued slicing the outlying tree branches.  
  
Maddie noticed Ivan's sudden motion, but made little of it, although it did give her a bad impression. Perhaps she as being a bit forward, being so close to Ivan. He certainly cared about her; Maddie knew that, but he didn't really seem the one to love another. However, if she learned anything from her wards, it was that Love was possible anywhere, and that Courage was the requirement for its coming. As long as Maddie was courageous, and stayed true to her Love for Ivan, he certainly could return that Love to her just as strongly. She hoped that Ivan was ready, for even though he had been acting strange lately, he never slipped on what she wanted him to say and never let on any more than his care for her. It was as if she were his little sister. Maddie hoped he didn't think that way. She would have loved to have a big brother, but her affection for Ivan went beyond friendship and, indeed, any sort of familial affection.  
  
Maddie turned, looking over her shoulder to ensure that the others were still following. Her eyes fell on TK and Kari, oblivious to anything else but one another. Her heart gave her a pang at the sight; she turned away to stop the aching. Seeing those two in one another's arm made her emotions only redouble upon her. She wished Ivan would hold her as TK held Kari, not just for comfort as she cried or protection from her dreams. She wanted him to hold her just because he loved her. It was that Love that she wanted, that she craved. She didn't know how to find if his feelings mirrored hers. She'd thought about it for hours, but only one solution really seemed decent: to tell him outright. Again, her wards came to her mind. Courage would have to help her reach Love; she had to tell him.  
  
The two in front soon felt the uncomfortable silence bearing down on them. Thankfully, Houndramon was willing to break the silence. "Only a little further," He said, sniffing at the earth a few feet ahead of Ivan. He had started worming through the branches to get a bit of advance notice on things to come for the rest of the group. The branches were getting less dense as they went, signifying the woods coming to a close.  
  
TK and Kari were unaware of the change, but their digimon started cheering. They, unlike the humans, had no emotional experiences through the trip and had grown bored over the course of the journey. They hadn't even needed to fight much, as Ivan's weaponry skills and Maddie's magic proved more than a match for all their encounters. The end of the road was what they wanted most.  
  
Ivan's heart also lightened at the news. Once out of harm's way, and with TK and Kari back in the Real World, he would be able to have some quality time with Maddie. He wanted to take her away from all the action and combat; perhaps Azulongmon and Kilvaramon would give them some time off. Regardless, it would give him the opportunity he needed to finally say what he wanted to say and possibly have Maddie give him the answer he so desired.  
  
Maddie was, perhaps, the most animate at the knowledge. More than anything, the confinement and uneasiness inspired by the forest had been getting to her. Ivan had done his best to keep her dreams, which had been increasingly dramatic, at bay. Even with his help, Maddie still felt the pain and loss that they brought. Perhaps escape from the forest would mean escape from her dreams. And, with the freedom of the forest would be the freedom to spend time alone with Ivan. TK and Kari would return to the Real World, and she would be left alone with Ivan.  
  
Their digimon would be there as well, but Houndramon and Filmaramon rarely spent off time with their human companions. It was more likely that they would return to their friends of the digital sort. Houndramon apparently had a family, though Maddie had never been introduced to them. Houndramon kept having excuses, which were legitimate, but in the all the time Houndramon had, a bit coincidental. Nonetheless, he continued to say they'd come with him next time.  
  
Her thoughts returned to Ivan and all the loving, romantic ways they could pass the time until their next assignment. Walking trough some of the lush fields, flying away together around the Digital World or perhaps taking a trip to one of the many sandy beaches. Even spending time in one of the digital cities was appealing, so long as Ivan was there at her side. So long as Ivan was there at her side, she would do anything.  
  
Ivan's sword cleft through branch after branch, covering the ground they trod with branches and leaves. The branches got thicker and sparser as they went, but they grew back as they had at the other side of the forest. TK, having not taken his eyes from Kari's for an instant, stepped on a particularly large branch that rolled under the pressure of his foot. With the sudden loss of equilibrium, TK went down. His hands, rather than at his sides, had been in Kari's. Thus, he could not catch himself and instead dragged Kari down on top of him. Both screamed as they fell unexpectedly, Kari's arms quickly grappling TK. TK landed with a thud and a groan. Kari's body shoved him into the uneven ground again, eliciting a second groan. Kari propped herself up on TK's chest, looking down at him with worry.  
  
"TK?" she called softly, her head close to his. "TK? TK, are you okay? Say something," Kari's worry grew with each passing second. Then, after a moment, TK's eyes slowly opened, staring up into Kari's.

"Ugh." he managed as a response, shaking his head. "Well, that's what we call a fall. I'm fine, Kari, but if you wouldn't mind, could you please slide off of my chest so I can breathe again?"  
  
"Oh, sorry," Kari moved almost too quickly, apologizing again as she did so. She then helped TK to his feet again, putting her arm around his waist to keep him steady as he stood. "Sorry for falling on you, TK," she said softly.  
  
"It's alright," TK replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Besides, I pulled you down. It's not as if you had a choice."  
  
Kari smiled up at him. "Right. If you want to survive the rest of this journey, then you may have to just let go of me."  
  
"Thanks for the offer," TK said, placing his arm around Kari, "But it's more fun to have you in my arms than to live to the other side. The best, of course, would be accomplishing both." With that, TK tightened his arm around Kari but put his eyes on the path in front of them. However, the branches had again decided to grow back at their great speed, blocking their path and now thrusting out at the two of them.  
  
TK pulled Kari out of the way as more branches sprang out at them, spinning back and forth. He could have pulled out his staff, but a blunt rod would to little against the thick wood. He called out to Ivan, hoping he could cut back to them. Meanwhile, the branches continued to drive out at them, forcing them down to the ground to avoid being impaled. TK continued shouting, as did Kari, until the familiar sound of a blade cleaving through wood came to their ears, growing louder.  
  
TK only then realized that, when he was clearing a path in the woods, Ivan swung the sword into the ground. Grabbing Kari around the waist once again, he held her against himself and rolled as quickly as he could up against the trees on one side. Seconds later, the blade struck the dirt where they had been. TK called out again and the blade stopped. Ivan's head then poked down to the earth. TK thrust the branches off of himself and Kari, helping her to her feet this time.  
  
"This is inevitable with you, isn't it, TK?" Ivan said, shaking his head. Maddie and the digimon, who had come back with Ivan to avoid getting trapped, could hardly keep themselves from laughing.  
  
"Well, you know it's hard to watch all this stuff at once," TK said, blushing and laughing a bit himself.  
  
"Surely hindered by a distraction like Kari," Ivan responded slyly, causing Kari to blush as well.  
  
"Too true," TK said softly, for only Kari to hear. Kari looked up at TK, smiling. Her arms returned to their place around his waist as TK's went back around Kari. TK then put his eyes to the path before them and led Kari back to the rest of the group.  
  
"Alright; let's get out of this place, shall we?" Ivan's statement met a unanimous nod and Ivan turned around, starting up once again on his way through the dense woodlands.  
  
It took little more than an hour for Ivan's sword to cleave the final branches. Before them lay grassy fields and rolling hills, dotted with small clumps of trees. The river, some fifty feet off to the left, wound down into a small valley further to the left, the other bank striking up sharply into the side of a plateau. The sun, setting fast behind them, signaled the end of their day, and the expanses of open grasslands in front of them inspired a great sense of accomplishment.  
  
Maddie was the first to crack. Finally free of her confinement in the forest, her pent-up energy exploded. Screaming and cheering, she dashed ahead of the others. Her gymnastic skills were then displayed as she somersaulted, back flipped, spun, and leapt around the open field. She kept at it for several minutes, Kari joining her as well as most of the other digimon. TK then followed after Kari, taking her in his arms in a dance.  
  
Ivan was relieved as well, but his joy was released more internally. With an accomplished sigh, he leaned against a tree at the edge of the forest with a smile upon his lips. Houndramon lay at his feet, rolling back in forth in the grass. He was also mellower when an adventure came to an end. He had, after all, experienced much more than this.  
  
Ivan's eyes followed Maddie as she pranced around in the open field. She and Filmaramon were having a grand time, making Ivan want to join them. However, he suddenly noticed something in the sky. A speck of light, high above the plateau, was flickering while it was still day. Stars were not common before it was late at night, setting Ivan on guard. Anything suspicious was usually bad; subterfuge was not the forte of the Digital World.  
  
As the object flickered, it seemed to get bigger, and then divided into two. Then the two shining objects grew, staying side by side. The sound came then: the low reverberations of a sonic jet flying overhead. The others were unaware of the source, but Ivan knew it was the flickering lights. He also knew that the flickering lights were in fact two robots of their enemy. The hulking monstrosities came into view, camouflaged in the synthetic skins of Digimon. The species they imitated Ivan did not know, but one was of a blue tint, and the other, bigger with a more vicious appearance, was orange and green. Like lightning, the robots came at them, under the impression that they had caught the group off guard. Indeed, they would have if Ivan was not the ever-alert guardian that he was. Only seconds were available for Ivan's preparation, which he used to extend a desperate call out to the others. "Get back!" he yelled, dashing forward to them. His super-human reflexes were put to the test as he cleared the fifty yards between him and the others, who were still unaware of the danger. He cast a protective barrier as quickly as he could. However, the time allotted was not enough to have the shield perfected.  
  
The digimon called out simultaneous attacks as Ivan yelled out to his companions. The blue robot, calling out in a synthesized voice, "Reaver Hail!" threw out a bombardment of no less than a hundred shards of energy at the party. The robot cloaked in orange and green launched a great fireball as he said in an equally monotone voice, "Infernal Vortex!"  
  
The Hail came first, the Vortex an instant later. As the shards neared, Ivan's shield came into being, bolting out from his palms at incredible speed. Each shard was cut off, the barrier only just intercepting them. Then, instead of striking its respective target, the bolts of force were channeled back to the source of the shield – Ivan; he was still generating the shield. Each blade pierced through him, not causing physical damage, but instead surging his nerves with pain. Gritting his teeth, Ivan endured the pain only to have the Vortex come blazing directly into him. Unlike the individual shards, the Vortex attack held a far greater and deadlier punch. Hardly prepared for resisting the assault, Ivan was hit by the full force of the explosion. The barrier shattered under the pressure.  
  
Hurled back like a rag doll, Ivan cleared the fifty yards again, this time through the air, until he collided with a tree. Maddie screamed, dashed towards him, and was kneeling beside Ivan's fallen form in an instant. The others ran as fast as they could, both out of immediate danger and to Ivan.  
  
"Ivan, Ivan, can you hear me?" Maddie pleaded, taking his hand in her own and holding it against her cheek. Ivan's eyes opened after moment, blinking then flashing back into life. His arms then shot forward, raising another barrier. The others, having their backs turned upon their enemies, never saw the new onslaught that Ivan noticed. This time, his shield was completed with a few seconds' leeway. The shards showered down upon them, but their surge was greatly reduced as Ivan's shield strengthened. Even the Vortex only had a minor repercussion on Ivan. However, there was no more time for mere defenses. Ivan's resources were already greatly drained from the first attack. Assault had to be quick and precise, he knew, lest they would all end up dead.  
  
With everyone assembled behind the temporary barrier, Ivan quickly issued out a plan. "TK, take the digimon and Kari back into these woods. They're dense, but the path that we followed comes out just over there, see? The trees won't grow over you there. Get back in there and stay-" A series of collisions drowned out his voice temporarily, "-alert. I may need you. Maddie, you need to create a distraction for the rest of us. I can keep the barrier up long enough for you to transform. Then, make a dash-" More attacks struck the shield, "-across the field, between the two robots, and then bolt off to the side. They attack quickly, but I know you can outrun their ballistics. Just keep an eye on their aim in case they try to-" Another shower of shards poured down; another mighty Vortex slammed into the barrier "-cut you off. Make an erratic path, like thunder. Once you're out there, TK will move up into cover and I'll transform. Then, we'll take down these two imposing robots."  
  
"Well, let's not waste any time!" Maddie shouted as more explosions reverberated through them. She then pulled her amulet out from under her shirt, speaking softly to it. Instantly, as if sensing the danger, the light burst out of the necklace. Maddie was absorbed into its warm, protective substance. Another moment passed and the light had faded, leaving the Ruby Dragoon, Madina, standing before them. "See you on the other side, Ivani," She called, bolting out from Ivan's protective shell. The robots, falling for the plan, set their sights on the dragoon as it rocketed out between them. They did indeed try to cut Madina off, but Maddie's piloting skills were far beyond those of the hulking machines.  
  
TK grabbed Kari by the hand, calling to the rest of the digimon to move in their opportunity. Houndramon led the way, followed by TK, Kari, and the other digimon. Ivan alone was left within the blockade. Standing, he rubbed his back that was badly scraped from the tree bark. He was thankful for his reflexes, for he may not have been able to survive the blast back if his partial shield hadn't been in place, or if he hadn't let the Vortex explosion carry him. Stiffening would have only made him more brittle.  
  
His thoughts didn't stay for long, as he whipped out his amulet. With a silent prayer for Maddie's safety, he recited his phrase of calling. The light within his amulet erupted, as if linked with Ivan's own apprehension and anxiety. With the conclusion of transformation, Ivani stood in the clearing. The barrier faded from view.  
  
Within the helmet of the Diamond Dragoon, Ivan sought out his Ruby counterpart. He spotted her, releasing a conflagration at the blue robot. The machine was hardly affected; its masquerading shell darkened, but little more. A steady flame was the only real way to cause severe damage, as metal needed steady, high heat to melt. Unfortunately, these robots had no kindling foliage like the imitation Cherrymon.  
  
Ivani charged like a streak of lightning across the field of combat to Madina's side. He signaled her that the others were safe, and then commenced to release his own vicious assault upon the twin robots.  
  
TK and Houndramon slipped into the opening a moment later. Moving in a few feet to provide some cover, they looked eagerly out towards the battle between the Dragoons and the robots. The explosions went back and forth, with flashes of light around the bases of the levitating robots. Gatomon, who had been looking away from the battle on the field, suddenly cried out urgently. TK and Houndramon turned to see what the problem was. They saw it – two drones, moving quickly towards them down the path. As they came closer, their blades came out in a flash of metal, ready to strike with deadly force upon the humans and their digital companions.  
  
TK threw the strap attached to his stave back, the stave swinging around him into his hands. Another instant passed and the staff was detached from the strap and readied. Ivan's relentless preparation and drilling made his reflexes even faster than they had been from basketball and his previous journeys in the Digital World. Houndramon, naturally prepared for battle, only needed to brace for the charge.  
  
TK came up with an idea as the chargers closed in. A few seconds before the drones reached them, he knelt down on the ground and held the staff horizontally. With a forward roll, TK drove the staff forward into the legs of the drones. The resulting blow threw all three to the ground. Houndramon set upon the fallen drones, but got only a second's opportunity before they were back on their feet, sword points forcing the dog-digimon back.  
  
TK was on his feet just as fast as his attackers, whirling his staff about in a protective windmill. He then caught one of the drones in the torso with a cross swing, pulling its attention from Houndramon to him. Thus, TK and Houndramon was each engaged by a razor-sharp blade wielded by expert, electronic hands. Houndramon used his great agility to avoid the whirling sword, while TK's stave was still resisting all forms of attack. Nothing seemed to break it, which was fortunate as the Drone's blade crashed into TK's blocks again and again.  
  
The drones, which happened to be more advanced than the boys expected, continued their onslaught. They held no fear, no remorse. All they knew was death. They were either to kill their opponents, or be slain themselves. With their destruction as the only other option, they held back nothing; perhaps this made them too overzealous in their attacks.  
  
It made little difference, however. TK could not maneuver his staff fast enough for a counter-attack after a parry, leaving him only with the option of protecting himself. Houndramon was likewise pinned, unable to get past the weapon of his opponent without taking a hit. Even as it was, there were occasional connections from the blade of his opponent with his side, causing Houndramon to yelp. The others, inadequately equipped to engage in battle, could only watch as the two fought with their oppressors.  
  
Thrusting backwards, Ivani's cannon shells struck their mark on the blue robot. However they, as Madina's fire, cause little damage. The counter-attacks of the robots tore apart the dirt in front of Ivani, kicking up a great cloud of dust. Madina again tried an attack: "Flame Vulcan!" She released a great fireball at the orange and green monstrosity, catching it square in the chest. The façade of the robot burned and melted away, exposing the internals of the goliath, but was extinguished almost instantaneously. There was almost no overall effect.  
  
Ivani dashed over to Madina, creating a barrier as he reached her. Ivani's enhancements made the shield far stronger and much more quickly than he had in his human form. He then turned to Madina. The two tried to come up with a plan, as their own attacks had only superficial damage upon their attackers.  
  
"Maybe their own attacks are more effective?" Madina offered, watching another series of attacks cascade down into the shield.  
  
"It's worth a shot," Ivani said in reply. "Hold tight here, I'm gonna get on the other side. On my signal, thrust up and forward, straight at me. Don't change your angle until the mid-point, and then dive down until you're a few feet above the ground. Remember – like thunder." Madina nodded once in acknowledgement.  
  
Ivani bolted out through the robots, while they tracked him with their weaponry. Ivani's erratic movements were all that kept their explosions from hitting him on full. Then, reaching the other side of the two robots, he turned around. Throwing his arms out to his sides in a signal to Madina, which she understood, he somersaulted into the air. Madina mirrored his movements as if it was a choreographed flight pattern. Simultaneously, they hit the boosters on full, charging at one another. Like a pair of electric bolts, they passed through the gap between the robots.  
  
The robot cannons fired as both targets entered the same vicinity. However, their ballistic speed was far less than their targets; they hit one another in the crossfire instead. The blue robot's energy shards tore through the imitation digimon skin, some piercing the internals of its orange and green ally. The Vortex attack was far more damaging, however, as the blue robot felt the full impact upon its torso. The masquerading shell was incinerated, leaving only tattered remains. In addition, its armor was damaged and somewhat melted in the great heat of the energy explosion.  
  
Ivani looked back with pride, knowing just a couple more passes would end the robots. However, he found that the robots were no longer so close. They were not elites for nothing; they comprehended Ivani's plan and used the first plan they processed to counter-act it. This was to split up. They could do more together, but they were more likely to hit one another again in such close proximity. Thus, they spread out.  
  
Madina looked over at Ivani, as if to ask "what now?" Ivani shrugged, and then pointed her to the formerly blue robot. Madina shook her head. She then pointed at the orange and green robot. Why Madina wanted to take on the larger robot Ivan didn't know, but he didn't want to contest it now. He nodded, and then dashed off after the metallic monstrosity.

"Any plans, Houndramon?" TK panted as another swing came down upon his stave.  
  
"Not yet, but I'm thinking," Houndramon responded breathily, back-flipping out of another blade swing.  
  
The drone engaging TK came down with a particularly harsh, vertical strike. TK blocked the blade, but the force reverberated through his fatigued arms and sent him down. Kari screamed as TK fell. TK relaxed as the sword pulled back, but only for an instant before rolling to the left. The Drone's second attack hit the soft dirt rather than it's original target. A dirt cloud was thrown up. TK again performed a windmill-parry, knocking away the drone's blade. In the instant provided, TK swung his staff against the legs of the drone, utilizing the force of the windmill as an amplifier.  
  
The impact resonated through the trees. The drone's leg was thrown out from under it. TK got to his feet an instant before the drone stood, and met it's rising body with a phenomenal backstroke to the head. He utilized his whole body to empower the blow. Spinning with the momentum, TK brought the drone into the trees at his side with a deadening thud. Another follow-up strike to the torso yielded a felled drone. However, TK was not quick enough to avoid the blade the drone still held in its hand as the weapon came flying along with it. Catching TK in the side, the blade made a shallow slice through his clothes and into his flesh. TK cried out from the gash, stumbling into a tree and gritting his teeth against the pain.  
  
Kari screamed, running to TK's side. She quickly pressed her hands against TK's wound, easing him down into a sitting position. TK's shirt turned crimson and wet against Kari's hands, making her even more scared. She did what she could, then, with a rush of strength, ripped one of TK's sleeves off and used it to help staunch the wound.  
  
Houndramon saw what happened; his adrenaline erupted. As it peaked, Houndramon charged away from the drone to the opposite side of the path. Jumping at a tree, Houndramon used it as a springboard. Launching himself to the other side, he vaulted off of the tree, moving a bit higher. Back and forth Houndramon threw himself, moving a higher each time, as well as a bit faster. The pace increased to the point where the drone could only decipher a black shadow whirling above it. Once he was about ten feet above the ground, Houndramon held his next launch a bit longer, bending the tree down further. With a snap release, Houndramon's angle of projection was much steeper. Houndramon reached the pinnacle of his launch directly over the drone, and maneuvered himself into a dive of deadly claws.  
  
The drone, seeing the blue and black object come driving down upon it, attempted to block him with its blade. Houndramon had expected this. His angle of descent was not aiming for the drone's head, as it expected, but for its sword-wielding shoulder. The drone saw this too late, and as it attempted to adjust the blade's angle, a flurry of claws and fur cascaded down violently against its side like a streak of lightning cleaving through a tree.  
  
The drone's arm was hewn from the core, the blade still held in the hand and ultimately driving into a tree from the force behind Houndramon's claws. The rest of the drone met the incredible strength of Houndramon's hind legs, kicking the drone into up a tree at the other side of the forest with his hind legs. Houndramon's momentum continued, sending him running up another tree. Again, Houndramon vaulted across the gap of the path, this time directly at the drone. His claws this time impaled torso of the drone, leaving behind only cleft fragments of metal with a pair of legs and a sparking, torn metallic skull. Houndramon then back-flipped off of the tree, landing on the ground with a soft thud.  
  
"Well, that worked as a pretty decent plan, didn't it?" Houndramon said to the astonished crowd. He then paced over to TK, who was half-asleep from the pain in his side. Kari looked pleadingly at Houndramon. Houndramon's eyes scanned the path for some sort of material to help stop the bleeding, but he was at a loss for what would work best on a human. Then he noticed the lights flickering on in the drone on the far side of TK.

Ivani drove to the right, dodging yet another shower of energy shells. By now he was getting bored with the same attack, wishing desperately for a conclusion. He could evade all these attacks, while the machine could endure all of Ivani's. Then it hit him; Azulongmon's sword. It could cleave any material, and was by all accounts unbreakable. "It's worth a shot," he said to himself.  
  
Throwing his left hand to the sky, Ivani's sword was ejected from the slot installed on the arm plate. Ivani caught the blade as it fell. With a quick swipe, the blade of the Diamond Dragoon was brought to the ready. It was another instant before a barrage of energy shards came down at him from the bestial robot. This time, instead of dodging, Ivani spun his shining sword about in front of him. The shards were knocked way. Although now more dispersed, some of the shells did collide with their creator.  
  
One bolt of energy tore through the sensory systems in the headpiece of the robot. It stunned the visual capacities of the machine for only an instant, but the quick swoon of his opponent signaled Ivani that it was an opportune time to attack. With its visual capacity restored, the robot found Ivani's blade swinging horizontally, emitting a great arc of light.  
  
The sword's beam, far stronger than any of Ivani's projectile weaponry, cleft through the target with incredible affectivity. The central core was ruptured, leaking oil onto the ground. The robot slowly fell from its airborne position, but never actually landed. To finalize his victory, Ivani fired another great arc of deadly charged energy, this time in a vertical pattern.  
  
The blast of force rent cleanly through the machination, causing the remaining fuel and charged energy to detonate. Engulfed in a flurry of blue-green flame and smoke, the remnants of the robot fell to the ground in a smoldering pile. Ivani came back down to the ground, looking at the charred remains of his former opponent. Then he realized Madina was still engaged in combat at the other side of the battlefield. Adrenaline rushed through him. "Breaking on through to find my light," he said softly to himself, charging his thrusters. "I'm gonna fly so high and never hit the ground." With that, Ivani rocketed towards where Maddie had gone.  
  
All anyone could have seen was what looked like a silver streak of horizontal thunder rip across the field.

"Keep breathing, TK," Kari whispered in TK's ear. "Stay awake; don't close your eyes. I don't want to lose you." She rested her head against his shoulder, doing her best not to cry. She pressed harder against his side, her hands now as red as the armor of Madina. She wished desperately for clean water, but the only source was on the opposite side of the battlefield. All she could do was hope that the bleeding would slow. Houndramon kept dashing off into the woods, sometimes coming back with some herbs. Other times he came empty-mouthed. Kari did what she could with the herbs, but she didn't know how to use them and Maddie was in the middle of combat. Chances were that Maddie wasn't in a much better situation.  
  
"TK, please don't die," she pleaded. "I love you, I don't want to lose you so soon." It had only been a day since they had admitted their love for one another. To lose TK so soon seemed almost cruel to Kari, and indeed not something she wanted to endure.  
  
TK's eyes slid over to Kari, and he managed a weak smile through the numbing pain in his side. "I'll be alright, Kari," he said softly, resting his hand on top of her own. " If I can have you fall on me and be alright, I think I can endure this." Kari's mind reeled to that incident.  
  
At the time, it had all been in jest, and TK had been all right. She knew that it meant his love for her was incredible, but she didn't want him to die right after they had reached such salvation. Irony was not something she enjoyed in serious situations.  
  
"Here," Houndramon said as he nudged a few more herbs into Kari's lap. "These are very absorbent and have special antidotes within the leaves. They're effective for open wounds. They need to be applied to the bare skin, though."  
  
Kari shuddered at the thought of having to see the actual wound. Up to this point, it had been under bloody cloth. Gingerly, Kari pulled her hands away and lifted up the fabric. TK winced. The sight was indeed not a pleasant one. Kari had not been as prepared as she would have liked for the image.  
  
The blade had sliced clean through both cloth and flesh on its passing. Even without much force behind it, the saber's sharp edge was enough to cut through skin easily. Now the wound had bits of cotton stuck in it, along with a bit of white visible inside. Kari felt her tears come back even stronger, but she held them back as she did her best to clean her hands of TK's blood on her shirt. She then picked out the specks of cotton in his gash. Lastly, Kari placed the leaves delicately across the wound before pulling the shirt down over TK's side and pressing against it. It wasn't as severe a wound as one to the heart or head could be, but it was augmented by the blood loss.  
  
Kari looked into TK's pained eyes, losing all her inhibitions. She left her right hand to hold the new herbs against TK. Kari used her left hand to pull TK to herself, crying softly into his right shoulder. TK's right arm cradled her against himself, and his left hand held helped Kari's right on pressuring his wound. He kissed her head gently, whispering again and again that it would be all right.  
  
TK, too, had though of the events of the day. He knew how much he loved Kari and would have certainly held Kari in the safety of his arms, even if it meant his own death. The prospect of death left him as he learned that Kari's happiness and life wouldn't be secure without him. Kari loved him just as much as he loved her. Without him, she would lose a part of herself. Kari's arm tugged on him feebly, making firm his thoughts. He returned her embrace, his strength returning from his own resolve and the medicinal values of the herbs.  
  
Houndramon noticed TK's recovery had turned for the better. He stopped running errands for herbs. Then he turned his attention back to the drone still in one piece. It kept erratically charging up, but only Houndramon had noticed it as of yet; the other digimon continued to watch the explosions and flashes of the battle outside. The drone sparked to life again, slowly rising. The drone took only an instant to regain itself, but it was an instant too long. Its sword was only just coming to the ready when Houndramon pounced upon it, rending the cables out from within.  
  
Kari and TK both looked over, shocked at the sudden outbreak. Houndramon, panting, had another shredded drone beneath his paws. "It wasn't quite dead," Houndramon commented, his claws still digging into the skull of the drone.  
  
"Thanks, Houndramon," Kari said, TK nodding in agreement. Kari noticed that the blood from TK's wound was no longer flowing out, but staying somewhat contained within him. She kept her hand tight against him, worried that it might re-open, but gave a prayer of thanks for keeping her beloved alive.

Ivani looked around for Madina, but she was nowhere to be seen. The orange and green monstrosity was still lumbering about, though not in any particular direction. Once Ivani came into view, it caught sight of him and turned on its new opponent. Ivani noticed the new attacker, but knew that the sword he held could not reflect the Vortex attack that it used. He needed to develop a new strategy. More importantly, he needed find where Madina had flown.  
  
Madina certainly had the speed to avoid the attacks of this robot, even if her attacks weren't strong enough to take it down. Still looking about, Ivani noticed a glint of red in the evening light, on the ground amongst a small patch of trees. Bolting down to the patch of trees, Ivani saw that it was Madina, lying prone on the ground.  
  
Ivani called out to her, but there was no response. All that was to be heard was the orange and green machine's "Infernal Vortex" prepare for another strike. Ivani whirled around, calling up a barrier as the Vortex was fired down upon him. Ivani's enhancements made the shield more than a match for the great energy ball. Ivani then turned to Madina, raising a more substantial barrier around the fallen Ruby Dragoon. As much as he wanted to help her at that instant, the onslaught of the enemy could not be ignored. He turned on the hulking opponent, brandishing his sword as the eyes of the pilot glinted with fury. No one crossed Ivan and got away with it, especially if it involved Maddie.  
  
Tactics were no longer a part of the calculation. Ivani's adrenaline, peaking as he saw his angel on the ground, gave him more than enough skill for this battle. His thrusters ignited with a mighty flare. The robot took aim once again, but Ivani had already cleared to the other side of the machine. As the lumbering robot attempted to track Ivani, it was thrown further off-target. Ivan's emotion augmented the speed of the Diamond Dragoon exponentially, allowing him to perform feats otherwise unimaginable. Time felt as if it was slowing down around him, but he could still move at his normal speeds. The robot, naturally slow but strong, seemed to become more sloth-like with each passing second.  
  
Then, all at once, it stopped. The enemy machine ceased to move; the wind in the trees stopped; the running river stilled. Even the sun had ceased to fall behind the horizon. Ivani alone had movement capabilities. Had he seen himself, he would have noticed the radiant light bursting from his dragoon armor, but of this he was not aware. All he knew was that Maddie was in grave danger, for when a Dragoon ceased to move, the pilot was either unconscious or dead. With that thought in mind, Ivani wasted no time in readying his blade. It, too, was shimmering with a radiant light.  
  
Ivani dove then, straight at his mechanical opponent. With a whirlwind of deft strokes, Ivani cleft straight through the paralyzed machine.  
  
As Ivani finished his drive, time rushed back across the landscape. The wind whistled through the trees again, and the water of the river ran on. The sun continued to slip out of view. As for the hulking robot, only two large portions of hewn metal imbedded in the ground remained. Ivani looked over and noticed oil leaking out from the core of the machinery. He also noticed that several components were now on fire. This combination was very dangerous, he knew, and the oil's quick movement gave only a few seconds' time before ignition.  
  
Ivani bolted over to Madina, throwing himself over her fallen form just as the oil met the flame. A second later, a cataclysmic explosion of fire and shrapnel detonated behind Ivani, followed by burning rain and debris. Only the dragoon armor kept Ivan safe, though even it was pierced by some of the particularly large metallic shards.  
  
After a moment, the infernal rain ceased. Ivani slowly rolled off of Madina, who was still unmoving upon the ground. He said her name again, gently pushing her arm. No response came. He tried again, more urgently. No response came. Ivani pried back Madina's helmet, hoping for the best.  
  
Maddie, although unconscious, had suffered no wounds that Ivan could see. Her face, still as pretty as he remembered it, rested inside the helm of the dragoon. Her hair, disheveled from movement and fighting, made a thin veil over her face. Otherwise, Maddie could have very well been asleep. What had happened was still questionable.  
  
Ivani stood, taking a quick glance around to ensure that there were no more dangers at hand. Once he was satisfied, he recalled the armor about him. As the light receded, Ivan knelt down at Maddie's side once again. He had many sharp pains along his back, but ignored them. His attention was focused completely on the safety of Maddie. The light had not stirred her, making Ivan further worried. He ran his hand gently along her cheek. At this, Maddie's body did stir slightly. The warm skin beneath his fingers was a great reassurance to Ivan.  
  
"Maddie," he whispered softly, his head near her ear. There was no response. "Maddie," he tried again, "Maddie Mongoose, you need to get up dear. Just give me a sign you're alright. I can carry you back, but you need to recall your armor first; it's far to heavy for me."  
  
For many moments, Maddie gave no physical response. Ivan continued to whisper gently in her ear, running his hand back and forth along her cheek, occasionally stopping to check her pulse and breathing. Her pulse was regular, but her breathing was shallow. Then, slowly and painfully, Maddie's eyelids blinked open. With a groan, she regained consciousness.  
  
"Ugh, what happened?" she murmured, straining to even get the words out. "I feel like I got hit by an omnibus."  
  
"Well, It's possible one of those Vortex shells caught you in the side," Ivan said, relieved as Maddie slowly got up on her elbows. Ivan put his arm around her shoulders when she faltered, acting to support her.  
  
"All I know is it really hurts," she pouted. She tried to rub her sore arms, but the metallic armor prevented her from doing much.  
  
"Maddie, I would suggest you start by recalling Madina, okay?" Maddie nodded in response. She tried to stand up, but again faltered. "Here," Ivan said, resting her back down on the ground as gently as he could when dealing with the weight of the dragoon armor. "Just recall it lying down. It'll be safer this way."  
  
Maddie made no objection. She set to recalling the armor. Ivan, unable to look directly into the explosion of light, clenched his eyes while still supporting her head. As the light faded, Ivan dared to open his eyes once again. Looking back, Maddie was lying on the soft dirt, her clothes looking more worn and tattered, her hair still covering her eyes, and what skin was visible had several bruises. Maddie groaned again, unable to move many of her ligaments due to the betterment that she had endured. Ivan moved closer to her, brushing the hair out of her eyes with one hand while keeping the other under her head.  
  
With the light of Madina gone, there was minimal illumination left. The sun had finally completed its course, casting only a few chance rays back over the forest. Stars had not yet emerged. Dusk surrounded the two. "You're the medic, Maddie," Ivan said lightly, hoping to get Maddie's mind off the pain. "You can't be the one getting hurt like this all the time. What'd I do without you there to give me a hand when I get totaled by one of these goons? It's my job to get banged up, not yours."  
  
Maddie smiled up at him, thankful for his endearing words. "Sorry," she said, "I'll keep that in mind next time we find ourselves in a fight. In that fraction of a second I get to do something, I'll throw you in front of their attack, okay?"  
  
Ivan chuckled at the thought, but had the lingering feeling that she would follow through with it. "Sounds like a plan," he said, regardless of what it might ensue.  
  
"But it really hurts," Maddie whined again, starting to move, then halting herself as the sharp pains of her injuries ran through her. "This really stinks."  
  
"Come here, Maddie," Ivan said, holding out his arms to her. Maddie looked up into his eyes. After a moment, she nodded. Ivan knelt against her, letting Maddie put her arms around Ivan's neck. Pulling back up, Ivan's arms slipped underneath Maddie's thighs, providing her with a seat of sorts. Maddie weakly tried to pull herself against Ivan, attempting to center his gravity better. However, it was to little avail; her arms were so fatigued she could barely keep a grip about Ivan's neck. Instead, she leaned her head against Ivan and let him carry her back to the others.  
  
"It won't be far, Maddie," Ivan whispered comfortingly in her ear. "You can take a nap when we get back, I'll take care of dinner for everyone. I don't know that there's a whole lot of stuff we can use for bruises, but if you'd like we can try pain killers."  
  
"I'll be alright," Maddie said, wincing as she did so. "I don't want to be a burden."  
  
"It's not a problem," he assured her. "Besides, I know you'd insist on doing the same for me. We'll get you some water and something to help dull the pain. I know how hard it is for you to sleep as it is, I don't want you to have trouble falling asleep in the first place, too."  
  
"Alright," Maddie said, giving in. "Thanks, Ivan," she added, tightening her grip.  
  
"Anytime, Maddie," Ivan responded.  
  
The strange intimacy of the whole event suddenly hit him. He was actually holding Maddie in his arms, even if it was out of comfort rather than love. Moreover, she was holding him in return. The signals had been very confusing for Ivan to understand in the past, but as of late they were getting clearer. Once he received one clear, definitive signal, he would be in bliss. For the time being, he was happy to hold Maddie and carry her back to the rest of the group. Resting his head against Maddie's, Ivan continued to stride back to the forest's edge.  
  
As he walked, he continued to try and create amusing distractions for the girl in his arms. Although they may not have been particularly funny or well rehearsed, Maddie was thankful and laughed at the points when she was supposed to. Maddie's body seemed to get heavier as Ivan walked, for even her small frame was more than Ivan usually carried. However, Ivan wasn't about to show any sign of weakness when Maddie really needed him. Readjusting his grip, Ivan tried to put his own focus on his pointless stories as well, in order to ignore the numbness enveloping his arms.  
  
Several minutes of slow progress across the field passed before Ivan and Maddie reached the entrance to the forest at which they had left the group some time ago. Houndramon, ever resourceful, had created a small fire at the mouth to the forest. The other digimon, lying in the verdant grass some feet away, were chatting softly. TK, laying on his right side, struggled to keep his eyes from closing, lest he be taken by a dangerous sleep. Behind him, Kari sat with one hand on his side and the other in TK's. When Maddie and Ivan came into view of the fire, Houndramon padded over to greet them.  
  
"What happened?" Houndramon said at seeing Maddie half-asleep on Ivan's shoulder.  
  
"The larger robot caught her off-guard, gave her a good bashing," Ivan explained, running one hand gently down her back. "She's a bit beat up, but with a good night's sleep, some food, and pain killers she'll be fine." Maddie nodded, emphasizing what Ivan said.  
  
"That's good to hear, we weren't so lucky to have just a few bruises," Houndramon loped back over to the fire, gesturing to TK and Kari. It was then that Ivan noticed the great stains of blood on TK and Kari's clothes.  
  
"What happened here?" Ivan said, eyes wide in worry. Maddie stirred, and Ivan carefully lifted her up. Sitting down, he rested Maddie in his lap. She gasped at the sight of TK's side. She started for her pack, but Ivan took her hands in his. "Let's find out what happened before you try and give him medication. You are still having trouble moving your arms. Don't go hurting yourself yet, okay?" Maddie sighed, nodding. She looked over at Houndramon.  
  
"So, what happened?" she asked softly.  
  
"Well, we were ambushed by a couple of drones while you two got involved with the robots. TK and I took them down; he smashed one down with his unbreakable staff, and I got the other with a well-executed pinball claw attack." Ivan and Maddie both couldn't help but laugh at the thought; Houndramon had used the skill in the past a few times, and although very effective, it was a very amusing display in hindsight.  
  
"Anyway," Houndramon continued, not finding his special moves humorous, "the drone that TK felled happened to do a spin with its sword as it fell, catching TK in the side. It didn't have much force, but it doesn't take much to wound someone who is void of armor. He's looking better now; I gave him some of those nice medicinal herbs you showed me a few months ago. But when it happened, it was a very red scene. He's lost a good amount of blood, perhaps an entire pint by now. As for current medical action, some of the gauze would be helpful right now, along with any more of that medicinal herb you've got. I found some in the woods, but there wasn't much."  
  
Maddie nodded, and then reached for her pack. "I can put it on for you, Maddie," Kari said quickly. "That is, of course, if you don't mind? You do seem a bit fatigued, though,"  
  
"Thank you, Kari; that'd be great." No sooner had Maddie replied than she handed a roll of gauze and a small vial to Ivan. "Here, give these to her. The vial's got some of those herbs in it, known as the Engrachi herbs, crushed for potency and space. Only a small bit of it should be necessary."  
  
Ivan handed the vial and the roll of gauze over to Kari as Maddie spoke. Maddie then gave Kari instructions on how to properly use the herbs and the gauze. Kari followed all of Maddie's directions diligently. "Be sure to pull it tight, Kari," Maddie said as Kari was pulling the gauze around in the final step, tying it fast around TK's stomach. He winced at the sharp pull; Kari quickly apologized. Nonetheless, she made sure it was tight around TK, keeping the medicinal powder against his wound and acting as a constant source of pressure to help contain any further bleeding.  
  
With TK bound and safe, Kari lied down behind him and laid her arm over TK's body. TK placed his hand over Kari's, gently grasping it and holding it to his chest. His other arm acted as a pillow, and TK was asleep almost instantaneously.  
  
Ivan looked about, noticing that no one was very energized anymore. TK had fallen asleep while Kari was resting by his side. The digimon, save Houndramon, were still talking idly, relaxing in the soft blades of grass. Kari, using Ivan as a resting board, was nearly asleep herself. Indeed, it seemed as if the group would go to bed without food. Ivan, however, knew that Maddie at least needed something to eat. After gently resting Maddie on the grass, he told her to rest for a bit; he'd get her some food.  
  
"You don't have to do this for me, Ivan," she said, taking his hand in hers. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather just sleep?"  
  
"I'm sure, Maddie," Ivan replied, squeezing Maddie's hand softly before standing. "Besides, I'm hungry, too."  
  
Maddie laughed at the remark. "I never knew you when you weren't," She giggled. She then closed her eyes, still smiling at the thought of what Ivan said.  
  
Half an hour later, Ivan returned to Maddie's side. Gently stroking her arm, he called her name. "Dinner is ready, Maddie,"  
  
Maddie opened her eyes. "It was the greatest dream, too," she said wistfully, leaning up. Ivan's arm was behind her in an instant, helping her up. In his other hand he held a bowl of his famous Requallo Soup. "Oh, the classics," she said slyly. "What would we ever do without them?"  
  
"You've got me," Ivan answered. "It's more due to a lack of supplies than anything else. It's a good thing that we'll have these two back home in a day. Otherwise, we'd have rationing problems."  
  
"That'd be terrible!" Maddie said with mock-worry. "Why, if that happened, you wouldn't be able to sate yourself whenever you liked! What ever would you do?"  
  
"It's something I prefer to not think about," Ivan said, sarcasm all too apparent in his words. "I may just have to go eat tree bark or grass."  
  
Maddie, who had just taken a sip of her soup, could do nothing but keep from spitting it out as she got a visual of Ivan running through the forest stripping bark from the trees and gnawing on it. "That's a priceless mental image," Maddie said once she regained herself. "If you ever, ever decide to go gnaw on random trees, let me know; I'll bring my camera."  
  
Ivan, too, started laughing at the thought. Frolicking through the forest, licking at tree bark was not something he wanted to have to do on a daily basis. "I'll be sure to let you know when I do. But then I'll need a picture of you popping out of a mongoose hole,"  
  
Maddie again nearly lost her soup as another vivid mental image hit her. "It's a deal," she said after swallowing her soup.  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna go get my dinner," he stated. "Houndramon, if anybody's hungry, let him or her know there's a vat of Requallo Soup up for grabs." Ivan then stood up slowly, making sure that Maddie was able to support herself. He then went over, retrieved his own bowl of soup and proceeded to wolf down the bowl's contents.  
  
After finishing off the soup, Ivan checked to make sure everyone who was hungry had gotten some food. Kari took a bowl and woke up TK to feed him a few spoonfuls. The digimon each took a bowl, downing the liquid rapidly. Lunch had, after all, been skipped over.  
  
Ivan retrieved the bowls from the digimon, Kari, and Maddie once they had finished. Stacking them, he decided to wash them in the light the following morning. For the present, he gave Maddie the drugs she had set aside for after the meal. She took them then returned to resting, this time without worry of interruption.  
  
The sparkling stars and moon overhead, coupled with the low energy level of the group made Ivan tired. His own fatigue from combat and carrying Maddie washed over him. He didn't want to leave the camp unguarded, but knew that his own stamina was running low. His staying awake through the night would make it all the harder the next day, and he dared not ask any of the others.  
  
Kari and TK had returned to their dreamland, although Kari had moved to TK's other side. Facing him, she had again wrapped her arms around him. Gatomon and Patamon slept near their human counterparts, while Filmaramon became a pillow for Maddie and Houndramon lay down at her side.  
  
With a sigh, Ivan resigned to leave the camp unguarded. He extinguished the fire to eliminate the possibility of a brush fire. He moved all the used dishes and the duffel bag out of the way. Then, with one final check to make sure everything was in its place, Ivan decided to join Maddie.  
  
Ivan lay down next to Maddie, looking over at her sleeping frame. Even after all she'd been through, her light and loveliness shone like a beacon to him. "Goodnight, Maddie," he whispered, his arm gently wrapping around her waist.  
  
"Goodnight, Ivan," came Maddie's reply, a small smile coming to her lips. She placed her hand on Ivan's over her stomach. Ivan grinned, squeezing her hand gently. The squeeze was returned, causing Ivan to smile again. Then, getting as comfortable as he could on the ground, Ivan let sleep take him away to the realm of his dreams about the darling whom his arm was around. However, letting down his guard was perhaps the worst mistake he could have made. Indeed, the greatest threat to come was now bearing down upon them.

"End of recorded data," a monotone voice stated.  
  
"Well, they must be aware of our attacks by now," another voice growled. It was low and ominous.  
  
"Both the 'Chassis: Turkanmon' and 'Chassis: Rugardimon' Robots, as well as the two Class-B drones have been disabled," the monotone voice said. A blunt object was slammed into another, as a fist on a wall.  
  
"All of them?" The low voice sighed. "Damn; those were some of my top combatants. Can none of my mechanisms hinder these pathetic humans?"  
  
"It appears that the power of the pathetic humans is not to be underestimated," the monotone voice replied. "To date, no attacks have succeeded in eliminating any of the targets. However, they have been wounded. The one called Madina was struck by the 'Chassis: Turkanmon' and the one known as Takeru met the end of one of the Class-B drone blades."  
  
"Madina was injured?" the low voice roared, a pang of emotion running through it. "That wasn't supposed to happen, it's Ivani that they're supposed to target. Madina is to be brought to me alive."  
  
"Indeed, sir," the monotone voice interrupted. "The 'Chassis: Turkanmon' Robot had succeeded in knocking the Ruby Dragoon unconscious. However, the Diamond Dragoon intervened-" Another slamming noise emanated.  
  
"Damn that Ivani," the sir said, loathing accenting his already icy speech. "Well, if my creations are of no use, perhaps it is time I go in there myself. How long will it take to ready my equipment?"  
  
"Twenty minutes and you will be ready to engage the targets, sir," The monotone voice answered.  
  
"Very well. Set to preparing my equipment immediately. They sleep now; it may be my best chance for an ambush." Again the heartless tone of his words became evident. "You are dismissed, R-374Y"  
  
"Yes, Jason," The monotone voice said. 


	10. Affirmation

The Ivani Chronicles : Book 1- Evacuation : Chapter 9- Affirmation  
  
Everyone was in slumber. TK and Kari shared a loving embrace in their sleep. Patamon had perched himself above his digital companion while Gatomon slept near to the two humans. Houndramon was curled up near the fire; Filmaramon continued to provide cushion for the injured Maddie's head. Maddie, in turn, was not far from the others and next to her lay Ivan. Ivan alone was not sleeping peacefully. His experience was quite the opposite. His body writhed in his sleep, nearly awakening Maddie on several occasions. It was no physical factor that caused this, but a dream.  
  
This dream was unlike any Ivan had ever experienced before. He had slept by Maddie's side for a long time now, and more than once her dreams found a way to him. These dreams held disturbing visions and painful memories, but none came close to the agony he experienced now. Moreover, those dreams had not related to Maddie's demise, but his. It was as if someone was targeting him, now, as a way to bring down his morale. Little did he know how right he was.  
  
It was Jason who was targeting them, plaguing them with these dreams. Up until the present, he had targeted Maddie. Indeed, his past with her gave him a great wealth of images to send her. He then found Ivan worked to block his assault upon Maddie. Over the past year, he had done what he could to learn about Ivan's fears and weaknesses. His scouts did what they could to watch Ivan. Jason's robots that survived combat with Ivan, of which there were but a scant few, relayed what they knew. However, all the reports came the same conclusion: Ivan's fears were never shown, if he even had any. His spirit and energy were more of a barrier than any spell within his capabilities.  
  
It was at the end of this year, yesterday to be precise, that Jason finally struck upon a weakness of Ivan's. When it finally came to him, he was amazed at how ignorant he must have been to miss it in the first place. It was Maddie. In all the battles Jason had recorded, in all the information he had gathered from his scouts, and even in what he learned from his dream attacks pointed to Maddie as Ivan's first priority. If she came to any danger, Ivan was the first to respond and protect her. With this knowledge, and the knowledge that all Ivan worked for was the safety of his friends, he knew the way of attack. He would turn the tables and show what would happen if Ivan couldn't protect his friends and, most importantly, Maddie. If his plan worked, he would be able to destroy the rest of the group and have Maddie back in his life, no longer as his girlfriend as she had been, but as his wife and slave.  
  
Ivan's dream was indeed torture and hurtful to him. It began with a voice in his head while darkness shrouded his sight.  
  
"You thought you could really defeat me, didn't you?" The voice said, sounding just as the one Ivan had heard in the forest a couple days ago. He wanted to reply, but he could not open his mouth. Sleeping prevented him from saying the words he felt.  
  
However, just feeling them seemed to be enough. Whatever Ivan thought, this voice heard and responded to. With this in mind, Ivan focused on a thought to send back to the spirit in his mind.  
  
"I have not yet faced you," Ivan responded in thought.  
  
"It does not matter; the outcome of the battle has already been decided," replied the voice, cold and throbbing in Ivan's head.  
  
"No battle can ever be decided by fate," Ivan thought. "It depends on the actions of the warriors, and what they decide to do. After all, each person has free will."  
  
"How can you prove that?" The voice chided.  
  
"I don't need to prove anything to you, or anyone," Ivan answered.  
  
"What about your little friend there?"  
  
"Maddie? Leave her out of this. If you challenge me, then keep the challenge with me."  
  
"Oh, but it is already too late."  
  
"Too late?" Ivan asked.  
  
"This challenge is against all of you, and with you defeated, as you undoubtedly will be, each of you will fall to my power."  
  
"You will never defeat all of us; we are stronger than anything," Ivan said in defiance.  
  
"But only when together," the voice said in response.  
  
"What are you talking about; we are together!"  
  
"How can you prove that?" the voice said. "Your arm is not covering all of them. Indeed, your tossing in this argument has moved you from the one you desire most."  
  
"Leave Maddie out of this," Ivan yelled in his mind.  
  
"Too bad," the voice jibed. "She's a part of this whether you like it or not."  
  
"Then I will keep her safe," Ivan responded, still defiant. "No harm will come to her so long as I'm alive."  
  
"I bet you wish that was true," The voice said with a sneer. "But you are wrong once again. Fate has already decided your demise."  
  
"How can you prove that? If I must prove the existence of free will, then you must produce your evidence of fate."  
  
"Very well," said the voice, calmly, as if it had been expecting this. "Enjoy the show."  
  
As these words echoed through Ivan's head, visions started to break through the blackness of his sight. Deep reds, grays and blues flashed through the darkness. With each flash, a metal clash or a cry rose. After a few moments, the blinking subsided, and a clearer picture came to Ivan. It was very similar to where their camp had been. The ashes were still where the fire had been, and the wall of trees still lay on their side. However, the people of the camp were no longer asleep and content.  
  
The most obvious figure to Ivan was that of TK. He had apparently been in some kind of horrific combat. His body now lay on the ground, utterly ragged and lifeless. In his hands, still tightly gripped in a last attempt to defend himself, were the two cleaved halves of his faithful staff. Kari lay on top of him, also violently killed, with open wounds scored across her back. She had died in an attempt to protect TK's already destroyed body, it seemed. Houndramon lay against a tree in a heap, his body melded around the tree as if he had been shot into it. He, too, had numerous wounds. Filmaramon was not visible, perhaps escaped, but there was nothing that she could do to help them now. Gatomon had taken several severe wounds to her small body, as had Patamon, and both now lay on the ground. Their digital information slipped away from their wounds as both faded from vision. Ivan continued to look around the horrific scene, looking for some sign of himself or Maddie. Whatever had hit the group had been strong, but without Ivan and Maddie to protect them, they had little chance to withstand the larger robots anyways.

Then he saw Maddie. She was not lying on the ground, as the rest of the group was, but was held up by a robot. Her head hung limp, and she looked very ragged. It was impossible to tell whether she was alive or not, but Ivan had an instinctive feeling that she was still breathing. He then noticed her chest rise and fall faintly, confirming his thought. For this he gave a sigh of relief. However, what came next was perhaps worse for Maddie than death.  
  
A few other figures stood shrouded just outside of Ivan's range of vision. One of these figures walked closer, covered in a floor-length black cloak. As he walked, the cloak swayed majestically about his feet. When he stood next to the robot holding Maddie, two arms rose out of the cloak. They pulled back the hood that had shrouded the figure's face. When the hood fell, Ivan saw no robot or drone.  
  
Ivan saw a human within the hood. The hair, short and spiked out, gave an energetic, while somewhat dark look to the figure, accenting the evil emanating from the black cloak. His eyes were blue, but not like the same lively, cerulean eyes of Ivan. These blue eyes were cold, frozen, chipped blocks of ice. Their stare was piercing, and as they focused on Ivan, he knew that where he was looking from was where his physical body resided in the scene. As the voice had said before, he was still alive but unable to protect his beloved.  
  
The human within the cloak, appearing to be about the same age as Ivan, let a demonic smile play across his lips. His glare swept up from Ivan to Maddie, lust coming to his eyes through the coldness. Ivan knew what would come next; his mind screamed in protest. However, the induced dream was stronger. Ivan was powerless to stop that which he had always worked to prevent. For Ivan, it felt as though all the effort he had put into stopping this made it all the more excruciating to experience.  
  
The cloaked boy's hand stroked Maddie's face gently, trying to awaken her. Her head rose slowly after a moment, and she screamed when she saw him. He slapped her. Maddie's head fell limp once again. Ivan noticed a few tears fall onto the dirt, though the boy ignored them. Instead, he laughed. It was an evil laugh; a demonic laugh; a laugh that pierced through the soul and struck straight at the heart of the fears of all who heard it. More tears fell.  
  
The boy then raised his hand under Maddie's chin, forcing her head up. Ivan couldn't see the boy's face since he was turned to look at Maddie, but Maddie was elevated and he could see the disgusted anguish in her eyes. The sight gave Ivan a pang unlike any other. He tried to move, to go against the will of the dream he experienced, but all that came was hallucinated pain in his limbs. He was unable to help her.  
  
"Do not worry," the voice from before said, overlaying the events. "None of this is real just yet, so enjoy your last few moments before all that you see becomes a reality."  
  
This brought little comfort as the action continued. The boy held Maddie's head in his hands and kissed her forcefully. She struggled against it, but he was far stronger. He let her head go, and his groping hands traveled down her body, taking pleasure in their lustful fantasies finally being fulfilled. Maddie whimpered as the boy became more aggressive. The boy stood again, having trailed all down Maddie's body, and his black cloak provided a shade to Ivan's vision. All that came now were more cries from Maddie and the resonant laughter of the boy as he continued to defile the girl. Ivan's head shouted at the boy again and again, but to no avail. No matter how hard he willed his limbs to move, they simply refused to do so.  
  
The screams reached a climax, and then subsided. The boy turned around slowly, his cloak whirling about him. His glare again fixed on Ivan. The boy's mouth opened, and the voice in his head spoke again: "What do you think now of you so called 'Free Will?'" It challenged, mockingly. "You have seen what is to come. Accept it, and you may live to see Maddie's full use to me."  
  
Ivan yelled out again at the boy; Ivan's defiant nature was strong. However, tears now came from his eyes. The boy started to laugh again in his sinister tone. It echoed through Ivan's head and his cries of protest quieted in the laughter's wake. Slowly, he let the words overtake him. The visions had been too much; with Maddie's life forever distorted by evil, there was no hope that she would ever be the same. So strong was the hallucination that Ivan even started to believe that it was the real thing, and that he was already defeated. He lowered his head in defeat, although he hated to accept it. He resigned to the laughter, inch by inch, as his defiance was slowly replaced by acceptance. He resigned, that is, until a great vitalizing call came to Ivan. He looked up, and saw Maddie still struggling, still fighting against the darkness about her. She yelled again, so loudly that it couldn't possibly have been from the dream. With the third, and final time she yelled, Ivan was thrown violently from his dream, back into reality. He knew one thing: nothing would keep him from fighting for what he believed in.

He believed in Maddie.

"Ivan!" Maddie, yelled, a bit of joy coming to her terrorized voice.  
  
Ivan's eyes looked around wildly, trying to locate the source of the cry. Nearby, he saw Maddie, restrained by the same robot he had seen in his dream. His eyes flew around the camp, and he saw that all the others were likewise held. TK and Kari, held by two similar robots, were on either side of Maddie. The machines were nothing like those that they had fought on the battlefield, but rather much smaller. They did, however, hold the humans fast in their metallic grip. Another factor was the blade that was held near the necks of each human.  
  
The digimon were also restrained, although a bit differently due to the unusual shapes of the digimon in comparison to people. Houndramon was held by his forepaws, as was Gatomon. Patamon was bound around the waist. Filmaramon was held in a single hand of a fourth robot, but was unable to transform due to a barrier spell about the metal fist. The three other digimon were each threatened by a blade at their necks, while the fist holding Filmaramon could easily crush her.  
  
Ivan leapt to his feet, thinking as quickly as he could of a way to save his companions. None of the robots were moving currently, but could easily pull back on the swords and kill all of the captives. Ivan knew he could rescue one, maybe two of his comrades before the enemies reacted to his movements, but he couldn't sacrifice everyone for the sake of one. He had to find another way. The robots still stood silent, ominous, and ready to act at a single word. Ivan was about to move when a sound came to his ears – a laugh.  
  
The laugh was identical to the one that had echoed through his ears in his dream. Ivan had pieced together that the voice and the boy had been one in the same, but whom it was he could not say. All Ivan knew was that the boy wanted to harm his friends and take Maddie for his own against her will. That was not something he would let happen. If this were to be like the dream, he'd show this boy what Free Will really was.  
  
Across the ashes of the fire strode the cloaked figure. Much as it had entered in the dream, it walked with near-military fashion. As it reached the opposite point of Ivan, with the former fire as the focal point, it stopped. It raised its hands and threw back the hood of its cloak. Then, just as in the dream, the head of the boy was visible atop the black billowing pillar. The dark hair was spiked just as in the dream; the frozen blue, piercing eyes, and even the sadistic smile were perfectly replicated. Maddie gasped when she saw the boy's head.  
  
"Jason!" She screamed. Her dreams may have included him for years, but for him to physically follow her all the way into the Digital World scared the life from her.  
  
"Jason?" Ivan repeated. He hadn't ever been given a description before of what Maddie's ex-boyfriend looked like. He had never imagined that the boy would hold such a stature, or such a deceptive look. Indeed he was handsome externally. But, from what Maddie had said, his goodness ended abruptly at his skin.  
  
"So, you remember me?" Jason said, turning momentarily to Maddie. "I'm surprised you do, after you left me so quickly years ago. But no matter; you won't be leaving me again for a long time."  
  
Maddie's eyes widened in horror as Jason slowly walked towards her. She cried weakly in protest, but he ignored her. Her voice then left her as the fear of Jason's return overtook her. Jason nodded, his smile returning as he raised his hand to caress Maddie's cheek.  
  
"Leave her alone!" a voice yelled. Jason and Maddie looked over at the source – Ivan. His sword flashed out and readied almost automatically in his grip. Jason dropped his hand.  
  
"Well, I'm sure that sword of yours will really save her and the rest of your friends," Jason taunted. "I told you, it's all over for you now. Just sit back and watch the show."  
  
"Never," Ivan shouted, the same defiance in his voice. "If you are a man of honor, then you will give me a fair battle. If I best you in combat, then you will give me what I wish."  
  
"I can't make Maddie marry you, Ivan," Jason said mockingly. Maddie gasped. Ivan faltered for a moment; Jason had struck a nerve.  
  
"Releasing my companions will be my wish," Ivan clarified. Then, with a reluctant voice, "Likewise, you may do whatever you wish if you win."  
  
"But I already can do whatever I want," Jason said, walking slowly away from Maddie. "Don't you see, Ivan? I've already won. You and your friends were all asleep. All I needed to do was distract you, and the rest of you fell like raindrops. Now look; they're all in mortal danger, and you want to fight me for them? I think not."  
  
"Then you fear losing?" Ivan said, letting a little amusement slip out purposefully.  
  
"I fear no loss," Jason responded, his eyes narrowing.  
  
"Then you have no honor?" Ivan asked calmly.  
  
"I have honor, you lowly worm!" Jason said heatedly.  
  
"Then prove it," Ivan called with a flourish of his blade. "Beat me, as you say you can. Strike me down where I stand. Then you will have no fear of retribution, correct?"  
  
"How foolish you are, boy," Jason said with a sneer. "Fine, I will indulge you for a bit. That way, Maddie can watch your demise played out before her; the defeat of her white knight by the powers of darkness." Jason laughed again.  
  
"That's what you think," Ivan said under his breath. He made eye contact with Maddie, winking and flashing a smile at her before turning back to the threat. Maddie felt a bit of comfort from this, yet she was still overwhelmed by her fear of Jason winning the battle. If that happened, her life would be in ruin.  
  
Jason's horrific laugh subsided; his glare returned to Ivan. "Well then, prepare yourself," He said simply. His hands flew out of the folds of his cloak, wielding a great pole. At the end, the curved blade of a scythe was attached. Swinging the bladed end up and throwing his cloak over his shoulders, Jason took a ready stance with his battle scythe.  
  
"Ready when you are," Ivan responded as he fixed the amulet around his neck carefully. Then, swiping his sword up crisply to the ready stance in fencing, and then down into a riposte position, he stood, poised to receive the onslaught of Jason.

A shriek of metal rose from the battlefield in a powerful collision. Jason, taking advantage of his weapon's superior size, swung down at Ivan. Ivan's blade was in blocking position in good time. The other end of the scythe was then swung out at Ivan's legs. He noticed it just in time, clearing the wood in a jump and kicking out at his adversary. The result threw Jason back, as well as Ivan. Ivan rolled out of the attack, ready for another bout. Jason recovered after a momentary lapse of pain in his stomach. His scythe spun around to the ready, and once again he charged at his opponent.  
  
Another clash of steel on steel rang out. Another scythe trip attempt was made, but this time Ivan's jump wasn't quite as well timed. He landed on the scythe, throwing both Jason and Ivan off balance. Ivan took a worse throw, landing on his back. Maddie shrieked, but Ivan gave it little notice. His focus was wholly on the battle at hand. The scythe blade dove down above him. He narrowly avoided the scythe point with a decisive side roll. Instead, the scythe struck dirt. Ivan threw his weight up, leaping to his feet and brandishing his sword. Only an instant passed before steel slammed into steel again; Jason had attempted an upward swing.  
  
Jason began a new approach; He swung with one end of his staff and then the other, not stopping at collisions. One swing came down on Ivan's right, another on his left. To avoid being hit, he moved backwards; the swings kept coming. Sidestepping to the left, right, and then the left again kept him safe momentarily. He also flicked out his sword to hinder the whirlwind of attacks where he could.  
  
It didn't stop Jason. His scythe continued to lash out on Ivan from both sides. Only the bladed end posed a real threat, but the wooden portion would have given Jason a momentary advantage, too. As Jason gained momentum, he prepared for a piercing vertical strike. Using the force he had gathered as well as his strength, he swung the scythe up out of the whirlwind then down with unmatched speed. Unmatched, that is, except by Ivan's reflexes.  
  
The remarkable block rang out in cold steel shrillness. Ivan took his opponent's reverberation as a point of opportunity. Driving forward with his shoulder, he checked Jason harshly. Jason was thrown back. Ivan paused to recuperate his own stamina. The journey had been so long, not to mention his restless sleep just before the battle, that he was weary. The horrible visions were weakening him as well. Maddie's torture refused to leave his mind, and while his mental capacity strived to eradicate the thought, his physical body was fighting the real opponent unaided.  
  
Only a few seconds passed before the clash of steel echoed again. Strike after strike of metal on metal and metal on wood tore through the night air. Thrusts, parries, strokes, blocks, clashes, and clangs clouded the air with their shrill noise. The digimon, especially Houndramon, couldn't stand it. His hearing was far more acute than that of the humans. Nevertheless, despite being held captive and having their lives threatened, the three human captives could hardly focus due to the great reverberations of the two warriors' weapons. Only those in combat seemed unaffected by the incessant, crashing noises. Focus was too strong on overpowering the opponent for either to take the time to notice.  
  
The reverberations in their hands did not seem to bother the two combatants, either. With each collision, the force was sent back through the arms of both boys. These waves of impact, however, did nothing to offset them. It seemed as though all senses were deadened, perhaps by the great prowess of the combatants, or the adrenaline that was pumping through them. Regardless, the focus on the battle seemed to be unaffected by the clashes; their features were etched in stone and their minds fixed on a single goal – victory.  
  
Ivan back-flipped as Jason attempted a leg sweep with his scythe. He continued to pursue Ivan, but the thrust of feet kept Jason from making any attacks. Ivan returned with a thrust of his blade. Jason's scythe knocked the blade away as he countered with another stroke. Ivan spun out to the side in evasion, then swung down at Jason. Jason backpedaled from the attack, taking advantage of the scythe's range to give him breathing room. The scythe continued to fly out at Ivan; his sword met it at each coming. Thus Ivan's energy continued to wear down. Without much opportunity, Ivan could not strike back; he didn't have the energy to maintain the pace for long.  
  
Jason noticed Ivan's lagging. With another strong horizontal stroke, he threw Ivan back. Ivan stumbled backwards, fatigue slowly taking over. His adrenaline rush was subsiding after it's greatly extended use. Jason's adrenaline may have burned out as well, but his natural energy had not been so worn from the past few days. Jason swept his blade up and brought it falling down as a final blow. Ivan's reflexes, although exhausted, were still sharp. His sword caught the vertical strike, again shocking his adversary. Maddie's life was still on the line. That thought kept Ivan's limbs from giving out completely.  
  
"Face it, Ivan, I've won," Jason sneered, bringing more force to his scythe. It may have been blocked, but he was determined to use this attack as his last.  
  
"You'll never defeat me so long as Hope and Light exist within me," Ivan retorted, rallying himself. Pressure was added to his arm through the scythe. It pushed down on him, making it harder to stand.  
  
"And what light is there here?" Jason jibed. "What is there that you could possibly hope for, in the darkest hour of your life?"  
  
"I can hope for what I've always hoped for," Ivan shouted back. More weight was applied to his sword from the scythe, pushing him back further.  
  
Jason smiled. His cruel teeth shone out in the glinting light reflected off of his steel blade. "Maddie?" he asked. "You still hope that she cares about you? That she has _feelings_ for you?" Jason's voice held a filthy mocking in them. Ivan's last nerve was being tested.  
  
"No," Ivan said after a moment. He hesitated to continue from embarrassment; something in the back of his head wondered if Maddie could hear them. Nevertheless, he said what hew felt. "I already know that she cares about me. It's her love that I desire. I love Madelyn Altair, Jason. Though she may never return that, nothing will stop me from protecting her. Protecting her from people who will do her harm. People like you!"  
  
Ivan's mind had developed a plan as he spoke, and the talk had masked it perfectly. Ivan pushed back against Jason's strength. Jason felt it, but misinterpreted it as Ivan trying to gain ground. Ivan applied the pressure for only a second, until he felt Jason equalize it. Ivan then pulled back and dropped to the ground. With the opposing force gone, Jason's force threw him forward. Ivan dove into Jason's legs, taking Jason down to the ground. Jason was sent sprawling to the ground.  
  
The unexpected counter-attack and impact with the ground knocked Jason's scythe from his hands. He groaned as his face hit the dirt, and lay there for a moment. Then, he noticed his weapon a few feet in front of him and reached for it. However, Ivan's foot came crushing down on his hand. Jason screamed as his hand was ground into the rocky earth by Ivan's shoe.  
  
"You won't use this weapon again, Jason," Ivan said solemnly. Then, taking careful aim with his sword, Ivan cleft the head of the scythe from the wooden stave. Although magically imbued and thought to be invulnerable, the power of Azulongmon's sword was not to be stayed by any material, magical or otherwise. Ivan lifted the metal end of the scythe, an eighteen-inch, cursed blade. Ivan thrust the tip into the ground, and then pushed it deep into the earth with his foot. Once secure with the idea that the blade could not be removed without significant effort, he turned back to Jason, finally lifting his foot from Jason's broken hand.  
  
"Now," Ivan said, panting. "The battle is over; you have been defeated. Give me what you promised."  
  
Jason started to laugh again. "But you have not come close to defeating me, Ivan," he responded sharply.  
  
Jason leapt to his feet then, throwing his cape to the ground. This revealed a small amulet around Jason's neck, much a mirror image of Ivan or Maddie's. However, this amulet resonated no bright, pastel color; it seemed instead to absorb all color around it.  
  
"You aren't the only dragoons, Ivan," Jason said slowly, taking the amulet in his grasp. He then recited a phrase, inaudible to Ivan, but very similar to the muttered verse of his own transformation.  
  
Jason disappeared in a ball of darkness. The black sphere shrouded the transformation of Jason into his avatar. When the darkness receded and Ivan could see in front of him again, he beheld what was easily the fear of all four dragoons: a dragoon battle suit, fighting not for the side of Light, but for the powers of Darkness.  
  
The armor resembled that of the Dragoons of Light. Shape, however, was where the resemblance stopped. The colors were far twisted from their bright, pastel colors on Ivani, or even the vivid and fiery colors of Madina. These colors were mute and dark, deep reds accenting the gray and black base colors. Also apparent were the spiked shoulders, unlike the smooth plating on Ivani. The arm slot was similar, although it had a far more vicious exterior; it was covered in small spines. Finally, the dragoon unsheathed its combat weapon: a long Kris. The bladed swerved back and forth, glinting at each curve with a dark energy. With a flourish, he called out to the shocked companions.  
  
"As you can see, it is not only those digimon of Light who retain the power of dragoons. Their opposition also has access to these great avatars of battle. Now, Ivan, you have won the first round. Come, and find our defeat in the second." Jason pointed his blade directly at Ivan. "Transform now and hope to protect yourself momentarily, or feel the wrath of my superior dark energy upon your bare body. The choice is yours. Decide quickly, for 'Doom Splitter,'" -he gestured to the Kris- "has a tendency to be impatient."  
  
Ivan gave no verbal response, but his hand snapped to his amulet in military crispness. He whispered his verse of calling to the jewel he held, and it responded instantly to his voice. Light poured from the amulet, making all look away, save Jason, who had a visor so dark it was herd to tell if he could see at all. As the light passed away a moment later, Ivani stood in Ivan's place, battle stance assumed.  
  
"Let round two begin," Ivan said, ejecting his blade and catching it only just in time.  
  
Jason charged at Ivani with his full force, thrusting out with is wicked blade. Such would have had terrible consequences, had Ivani not readied his sword and parried the charge, dashing out to the left as he did so. His arm cannon engaged at a thought, and Ivan spun back on Jason. "Ivani Cannon!" he yelled out, firing a barrage of shells at Jason's moving figure. The shards of energy never struck the vile dragoon, however; most landed in the ground behind him as Jason flew out into the darkness. Ivani then noticed Jason had turned around. Even in the darkness, Ivani could locate and track his opponent with ease. He also noticed a barrage of energy shells rushing towards him.  
  
Ivani was still near the fire and therefore his friends. Dodging a ranged attack could end up with the rounds of energy hitting one of his friends rather than striking the ground. Ivani's reflexes were thanked for the save; the dragoon called up a shield just as the energy shells were slamming into him. Most were absorbed, and the few that got through caused no serious damage. Ivani knew that continuing the battle here would be very dangerous. Taking a moment to check his opponent's maneuvers, Ivani generated a great protective shield about his friends, first ensuring that no harmful attacks would pass through it, then boosting the duration of the shield to keep his companions, especially his beloved, safe for the length of combat.  
  
"I hope you don't intend on hiding behind the shield of a coward, Ivan," Jason yelled out. "I always took you as a man of honor, not one of fear. Come; fulfill your challenge or forfeit this battle!"  
  
Ivani responded instantly. He was not about to take any insults from his opponent when he Jason already bested him once. Ivani launched himself upward, taking careful aim and usage of his enemy's temporary halt as his arm charged with energy. "Ivani Vulcan!" he yelled, releasing the stored energy in a large ball of explosive power. Jason noticed the attack, although he had missed Ivani's movement, and did his best to thrust backwards from the attack. The explosion of the energy ball still affected Jason, however, surging his systems with heat.  
  
Ivan came to a graceful landing where his attack had collided with the ground. "I am a man of honor, Jason," Ivan said slowly. "Perhaps you forget that the first and foremost priority of a 'man of honor' is to protect those in need, especially those that he loves." With a quick glance over his shoulder at the stunned group, namely Maddie, he turned back to his opponent. "Now then, perhaps you can improve your aim and keep the battle between us. Do not draw those unable to protect themselves into combat." Ivan then raised his left arm. "Ivani Cannon!"  
  
"Hades Cannon!" came a return call from Jason. Ivan heard the words and felt instinctively that it was a bad omen. Keeping his arm steady on his target, Ivani dashed to the right. Jason followed suit, aiming his own, spiked arm cannon at Ivani. The white energy shards fell short or long of their target, the distortion of movement keeping Ivani from making a hit. Likewise, Jason's return fire, black energy balls that resembled a tainted "Ivani cannon," never quite struck the Dragoon of Hope and Light. "Hades Cannon!" Jason called out, releasing another great wave of dark energy at Ivani.  
  
"Ivani Cannon!" Ivani returned, firing off another barrage of his own weaponry. The two Dragoons continued to duel at long range, but only a scant few shells ever struck their intended target. The few scored hits did little to affect the dragoons, as their armor was made to withstand a great amount of damage. Instead, mere scorch marks on the plated exoskeletons were all that recorded where attacks had been successful.  
  
After another few moments of attempted attacks, Ivani and Jason both came to the conclusion that wearing down their opponent at long range was, on the whole, ineffective. Ivani knew Jason's rested body could continue longer, but if he gave in and charged Jason, he would most likely take serious damage from ranged fire before he got close enough to fight back.  
  
Jason, on the other hand, knew he had the superior stamina. It was his impatience that wished for a quicker end. He, too, knew that a charge would be costly; his first was lucky as he caught Ivani when he wasn't quite ready. Now, with the spread, he would be open to take severe return fire if he made an attempt at engaging in close combat.  
  
Ivani was first to change the pattern of combat. He aimed his arm ahead of Jason while still keeping his eyes on him. His arm cannon charged, and with a yell of, "Ivani Vulcan!" Jason found himself diving directly into a large burst of energy. He evaded that Vulcan partially again, but the ballistics were so accurate that Jason did take external damage. Jason slammed into the ground, and then bounced back into the air. Ivani charged his cannon to release another attack, but heard a call come from the other side of the field.  
  
"Infernal Vulcan!" A black form rushed at Ivani, highlighted in deep reds. Ivani's reflexes allowed him to reverse thrust and release his somewhat-charged attack at the same time. The two energy balls collided, the one of darkness ultimately winning out. Luckily for Ivani, the shell was weakened to the point of infectivity.  
  
With Ivani's reversed thrust, he circled over to where he had last seen Jason. It took him a moment, but Jason was located soon enough. His arm cannon was still set on Ivani, and another "Infernal Vulcan," attack was about to bear down on Ivani. This time, Ivani held fast against the oncoming attack. His sword was readied from its loose grip in Ivani's right hand, and with a deft stroke, the energy ball of darkness was cleft in two by the might of the enchanted saber.  
  
Jason stopped short when he saw his attack cleft into nothingness. "Cursed sword," he whispered under his breath. "Not bad, Ivan," Jason called out after a second. "Now, try on my real power!" Jason re-engaged his thrusters, launching back on his path. Ivani gave chase, holding back to allow time for evasion but close enough to reciprocate fire. Jason charged his Kris rather than his cannon this time. The black energies swirled about the weapon, highlighted by deep purples. Then, with a quick pivotal movement, Jason released his attack upon Ivani.  
  
"Hades Drive!" Jason yelled, brandishing his glowing, curved blade. Then with an adroit down-stroke, the energy was shot as if from a cannon. However, this energy was likened to that of a thrust attack, bolting out at Ivani.  
  
Ivani had been preparing his own attack as he chased. With skillful timing, he countered Jason's attack. He called, "Ivani Slash!" and released a great vertical beam of white light. The two forces collided in a burst of color and sound, the reverberations shaking both combatants. There was only a flash of calm before Jason struck out once again, planning a new attack.  
  
Ivani launched off in pursuit, doing his best to keep his sights on Jason while charging for another attack. He knew time was running short; fatigue was returning to him. The dragoon armor gave Ivan a great boost of energy, but it wasn't enough to keep up such a grueling battle for long. His adrenaline was also engaged, but it was only able to last for perhaps fifteen minutes before it was re-exhausted. With that now on a dramatic decrease, along with the dragoon's reserves depleting quickly, Ivani couldn't hope to continue combat for long.  
  
Jason whirled around once again. "Demon's Spiral!" Jason called out, swinging his sword around in a cyclone attack. With each rotation, a wave of dark energy was thrown at Ivani. "Ivani Beam!" was the return call, and with the words Ivani let out a great horizontal stroke. From the tip of the sword white energy exploded, rushing forward at the intended target of Jason. The wave of energy cleft through the first part of the cyclone, and the second. With each wave the light weakened, and its length dwindled. In the end, all of the darkness energy was overrun, but the remaining force from Ivani was only enough to barely reach Jason, let alone cause damage.  
  
Jason watched his opponent, noticing the fatigue. After Ivani had sent his attack, he held his ground rather than dodging away to avoid damage. Such conservation would cost him, as Jason was only just breaking a sweat from the battle. "A few more long range attacks," he said to himself, "and he'll be worn down enough to bowl over in close combat." With that he launched himself once again into the night.  
  
"I can't keep up this long range battle," Ivan said to himself. "I need a new tactic. The question is, what? Charging would be costly since he'd get an attack of opportunity. Defense would only wear me down further. I could use my remaining energy for a power strike, but at this point, it'd be rather useless. I couldn't guarantee accuracy. Maybe if I can get him distracted, that would allow for a more successful charge. I'd only get a short amount of time in close combat before my energy's gone, but it's probably my best bet." The thoughts raced through Ivan's head as his sensors kept Jason's locale pinpointed. With a plan forming, he started up his thrusters again, slowly following Jason's dragoon.  
  
"Getting tired?" Jason yelled out to Ivani. "I can slow down if you like. I don't want to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend so much right before you die." Jason laughed again, his piercing laugh striking Ivani as powerfully as any weapon. However, the recoil inspired was even greater.  
  
Jason, amused at his own cruelty, slowed down. His haughty feelings gave him more confidence in him, and he waited for his opponent. Ivani noticed his change in movement, and threw his plan into action. As he was still out of visual range, Ivani took the opportunity to charge his sword once again. He slowed behind a small patch of trees and waited for his opponent to turn around. Jason, having lost sight of Ivani and noticing that the path he had flown was empty, spun around. Ivani could have swerved off the path for a surprise attack.  
  
"Infernal Cannon!" he yelled out suddenly, blasting a patch of trees into ash. "Ivan, where are you?" Jason growled. "Come, and show me this honor that you spoke so highly of! Maddie would be very disappointed to know what a coward you were in battle."  
  
With that, Ivani's thrusters shot Ivani sideways, strafing him out behind Jason. "Ivani Slash!" he yelled at Jason's unsuspecting back. With a strong down-stroke, Ivani released a great wave of energy at Jason, who was only just turning around.  
  
Jason barely managed to deflect the oncoming attack with his Kris, and even so was thrown back and damaged. His problems had only just begun, however. With his momentary distraction and block, Ivani had driven in on the distance between him and the Dragoon of Darkness.  
  
As the light of the attack faded, Jason looked to see Ivani's blade swing out at him. With lightning reflexes, Jason's Kris connected with Ivan's blade, and in another instant the two struck again. Again and again, the blades struck, releasing clashes of noise and flashes of light at intense velocity. After a moment, both broke away to recover. Close combat with dragoon-enhanced reflexes was both a brilliant spectacle and an exhausting ordeal.  
  
After an instant of recovery, Ivani charged back at Jason. He struck out high, then low, then towards the torso. High, low, low, center, low, high. Vertical swipes were intertwined with the horizontal. Parries also chimed in as Jason fought back with his vicious blade. High, high, center, low, parry, left, right, center, parry. Ivani's adrenaline surged, knowing that this was the moment of decision. All that he had worked for now balanced on this battle.  
  
"You really think that you can beat me like this?" Jason yelled over the clashes of metal ringing through the air. "Look at you; you're nearly exhausted. This is your last desperate attempt at victory, and I've still got enough energy to fight all night. You have fought with some little honor here; give it up!" Jason brought a powerful down-stroke on Ivani, which Ivani caught on his own blade. Again, the two were pitted in a struggle for dominance over the other. Jason's voice then dropped to a whisper, "I'll let Maddie know how you really felt about her. How you wanted to treat her just as I did in your dream. Well, I'll tell her after I've made her mine. What a pity you won't be there to see our glorious unification through that ritual of humanity. Imagine your dream. Imagine that over and over again. Don't worry about Maddie, Ivan. She'll lose her will to resist after a short while. Then it will just be the two us, together, with no hindrances; no one will stop me. No one, Ivan; not even you." Again Jason's demonic laugh echoed through the woods.  
  
Whether it was the effect he desired or not, Jason did get a reaction. Ivan, remembering the dream, found renewed energy. "There's no way I'll allow you to do that to my angel, Jason," Ivan roared. Jason had dominated the struggle for power up until this point, but Ivan's energy rebound brought more strength to his aid. Another amazing phenomenon also occurred: Ivani started to glow. Currently, it wasn't too noticeable.  
  
"What's this?" Jason chided, "She's your angel now? She seems to be doing a great job of keeping you out of danger here." Jason's laugh came again.  
  
"She's doing more than you know," Ivan said, his voice dropping dramatically. His glow became a bit stronger. "You can do all you'd like to try and corrupt her, conform her, but you'll never succeed. No one shall ever break the spirit of my angel, of my beloved." The armor's glow continued to grow. Jason's laugh was muted as he lost a bit more ground to Ivani. "There's more than one way to be with somebody, Jason. You can choose your way of deceit and dominance. However, keep this in mind: What joy can there be if both members of a relationship are not happy with it? Relationships are built on mutual love, not lust and power. Lust and power are easily corrupted and distorted, and therefore cause hurt. You may find that you will enjoy what you plan to do to my angel, but it will never be the same for you." Ivani's glow increased even further. "Your life will always be incomplete, and though you'll strive to fill that void, you'll never find that missing piece. Hatred can only spawn hatred, and soon you will find yourself against a new enemy.  
  
"The enemy's coming for you, Jason. He's your twin. He has your lust, your desires, your hatred, and he'll take everything from you as you crawl into the dark. The cycle of hatred will then turn and turn, until no joy is left; only a few fragments of happiness will lie scattered and twisted throughout the world. They'll die, too, Jason." The light of Ivani's armor increased, piercing Jason's visor and blinding him.  
  
"I won't let that happen, Jason. I will oppose this hatred that threatens our world, and the next, for as long as I can. I have chosen a different path of life from you. I choose to let Maddie decide whom she wishes to spend her life with. If she does not choose for herself, then she will never be able to spread joy to those she meets." The brilliance of Ivani's armor was now plunging through Jason's eyes, straight to his brain.  
  
"I fight for what I believe in," Ivan stated, his voice sonorous and forceful. "I believe in the Hope and Light of this world. Moreover, I believe in Maddie." With a ringing explosion, the light of Ivani's armor was absorbed into the holy saber of Azulongmon. Ivani kicked Jason, thrusting him to the ground. Then, raising the sacred blade high above his head, Ivan yelled out his most potent attack.  
  
"Ivani _Stryke_!" With the yell, Ivani jumped into the air and brought the blade down with surreal speed. However, he didn't stop there; swinging up, then to the side, then across, and then down again, the sword swung over and over. With each stroke, a greater beam of energy was released. This web-like structure of unsurpassed brilliance drove down upon Jason with unmatched fury. The armor of Jason's dragoon was cleft, blasted to the sides, and laid smoldering on the ground. The armor was shredded from Jason's body, while Jason himself suffered little from the overall attack.  
  
Ivani's attack concluded with a mighty horizontal strike, chopping the helmet from Jason's head, and a thrust higher into the air. Then, bringing his great sword above his head again, Ivani hurled it down at Jason as if it were a tomahawk. The blade, glowing with an intense white and blue light, bore down on Jason. It left a streak of white light in its wake. Finally, the saber struck its target – Jason's Kris.  
  
With a crack of thunder, the Kris was shattered. The shards of the cursed dagger fragmented and fell to the earth. All that remained intact was the hilt, with the Blade of Azulongmon driven into the ground where the blade had been, to its own hilt.  
  
Jason lay, paralyzed in terror, as Ivani descended and reverted to his human form. Ivan then walked over to his sacred sword and drew it from its earthy sheath. With a flourish, Ivan brought the tip of the holy saber to Jason's throat. A flick of the wrist severed the chain of Jason's amulet, sending it rolling to the side. Bringing the blade back to Jason's neck, Ivan spoke. "You have been defeated, Jason."  
  
After a moment, Ivan turned to the grove where the camp resided, some 20 feet off. He yelled out to the robots, "Your leader has been defeated in the theatre of war. By terms of the duel, I request that you, his minions, release my companions at once. Otherwise, your master shall be put to the eternal tortures of his crimes."  
  
The robots didn't move at first. Then, in unison, they turned to face Ivan. Ivan stood, staring at them, his blade held steady above Jason's neck. His breathing was heavy, and he felt his energy slipping like water through a drain. He summoned up what little he could keep to hold his stance, holding his stature over his opponent and his minions. Then, in another unison maneuver, the arms of the robots were both sent out to the sides, dropping all that they held. The swords fell and clattered on the ground and the captives fell as well, completely unprepared for the drop. They scrambled to their feet, quickly huddling together and backing away from the robots.  
  
"Thank you," Ivan called to them. "Now, reclaim your fallen leader and let your knowledge of what has taken place here give you some insight." With that, Ivan brought his blade around in a graceful maneuver, sheathing it an instant later. He then took a few steps back from Jason, who was still paralyzed with fright of what had just taken place. The robots then walked forward, marching together in perfect time. The front robot, the one that had held Maddie, grasped its fallen master and led the troop away. After a few more steps, the senior robot engaged its jets and took off into the night, the others following suit.  
  
As the light of the robots' thrusters faded into the night, Ivan's energy left him completely. All his adrenaline, his energy reserves, his stamina, and even the surplus that Ivani provided had left his body now. Ivan swooned, and then collapsed to his knees. His breathing redoubled as he strived to bring oxygen to his muscles. The aches of battle swept over him, and he winced. His vision felt uneasy, and he felt as if he were about to pass out.

Then he heard something. He tried to figure out what it was. Straining to lift his head, Ivan saw a blurry figure moving towards him. His judgment was gone, so he couldn't tell how fast it was moving.  
  
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Ivan. Though they hadn't brought much force, Ivan still managed to be knocked over from it. Words spilled out of the figure to Ivan, and his recognition slowly returned. They were friendly words; they were words of a friend. He blinked his eyes a few times, and his vision was slowly restored to its former abilities. He looked down at who had tackled him and saw a girl, with beautiful brown hair and lighter, blond highlights.  
  
Her arms held Ivan tightly, and he noticed her body was shaking. Ivan listened more, and noticed that she wasn't saying just anything friendly. They were words he'd wanted to hear for years, especially from this person. He also noticed that her words were interrupted by sobs and sniffles. Instinctively, Ivan's arms returned the embrace to his angel, his beloved. Her crying slowed, and she looked up at Ivan's face.  
  
"I'm alright, Maddie," Ivan whispered softly to her. "I love you, too, darling."  
  
Maddie stared for a few seconds, her mouth grinning more and more. "Really?" she sniffed.  
  
"More than anything," Ivan responded gently, squeezing his arms around her.  
  
She held her smile for a moment, then her tears returned to rack her body. She buried her head in Ivan's chest, pulling him tighter to herself. However, they were no longer just tears of fear or pain. They tears were tears of joy and heartfelt love as well.  
  
"Shhh," Ivan said softly to Maddie, caressing her back with his hands. "It's alright, Maddie; everything's gonna be fine. Everything's gonna be fine." Ivan then brought his lips down, kissing the top of Maddie's head softly. He continued to gently massage the girl as her crying slowly quieted and eventually subsided. Ivan was curious as to what the rest of the group was doing, but his own incredible exhaustion, as well as the fact that he was pinned down by Maddie, left him with little option.  
  
As Maddie came back to herself, she looked again at Ivan's face. "I love you, too, Ivan," she said almost inaudibly. Hesitantly, she moved herself up on Ivan a bit. She stared down at him, and although there was little light, her dangling amulet gave her enough to see the beautiful cerulean blue of her beloved's eyes. Ivan looked back at Maddie, losing himself in her deep brown eyes. Slowly, without even noticing it, their eyelids slid shut as their lips met. Simple and short, yet no less profound, Maddie and Ivan shared their first kiss. Maddie broke away after a moment. However, that moment had been the most enjoyable moment in either of their lives. Maddie's smile returned, and was mirrored by Ivan.  
  
Ivan's hand gently slipped from Maddie's back to her hand. Intertwining his fingers in hers, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Maddie returned it. Ivan's other hand moved up, brushing Maddie's hair back gently. Ivan didn't want the moment to ever leave.  
  
However, his exhaustion was still all about him. Maddie noticed it and said, "I ought to let you sleep, darling; you look absolutely exhausted." Ivan nodded weakly, his hand brushing her hair back again. She pressed her cheek into his hand, and then added, "We can continue this in the morning, okay?" Again he nodded, although Ivan was reluctant to accept the terms.  
  
Maddie brought her lips to his once again, mirroring the ecstatic emotions of their first kiss. Maddie, again, was the one to pull away. "Goodnight, Ivan," she whispered to him sweetly.  
  
"Goodnight, Maddie," Ivan mumbled. Maddie moved herself back a bit, once again resting her head on Ivan's chest. Her right hand was still wrapped about Ivan, while her left was intertwined in Ivan's right. Ivan's left arm returned to its place about Maddie, holding her close. Then, his resistance finally collapsing, Ivan was overwhelmed by sleep. It took only an instant for his dreams to take him once again. However, he had no fear of his dreams, or of Maddie's; the evil conspirator had been vanquished from their lives, bringing the two together like never before.

Ivan felt his eyes open. Time and place, along with most of the rest of his memory, was evading him. He looked about, trying to get his eyes to focus. A few trees came into view; a brilliant blue sky hung overhead. The sun held high in the span of blue, complimented by the green field on which he lay. Ivan also noticed several parts of his body were rather sore. His arms, legs, and back had all been pushed beyond their limits in the course of the night, the memories of which were now slowly returning.  
  
Ivan tried to stretch his tired and sore limbs, but found that he couldn't. He looked to his body in confusion. Maddie was asleep, her head resting on his chest. Ivan lay back, laughing lightly to himself as he remembered the events of the night that had followed the combat. He relaxed, not wanting to wake Maddie just yet. He did, however, bring his left arm back about Maddie; it had slipped to the side over the course of the night. Holding Maddie gently to himself, Ivan patiently awaited the awakening of his beloved.  
  
A few moments later, his wait ended with a quiet sigh, followed by the ruffling of cloth as Maddie's body came to consciousness. Her body tensed and loosened, stretching out her muscles. Her head slowly lifted from Ivan's chest, and her sleepy eyes met Ivan's.  
  
"Good morning, Maddie," Ivan said softly, sweetly to the girl. His hand moved from her back to her cheek, gently brushing her disheveled hair out of her eyes as he did so. However unkempt Maddie was, Ivan was completely oblivious; at that point he had never known a more lovely sight. Ivan leaned up, and brought his lips to Maddie's in a soft, morning kiss.  
  
"Mmm. Good morning," Maddie said as Ivan returned to his horizontal position. "Did you sleep well?" She asked, lowering her head back down onto Ivan while still doing her best to keep eye contact.  
  
"Never was there a night that I slept better," Ivan replied. His left hand began to idly run through Maddie's hair, admiring its great beauty. "And how about yourself, darling?"  
  
Maddie giggled. "I'd say it was just about the nicest night of my life, too," she said, giving Ivan's hand a squeeze and moving a little closer to Ivan. Her hand felt Ivan's give a return squeeze, making her smile inwardly.  
  
The two lay there for several minutes, doing little more than enjoying one another's company. No words were exchanged, but none were needed. All that needed to be said was passed through their actions. It was a position Maddie never wanted to leave. Ivan's hand in hers, his other caressing her, and his body underneath to hers was more than any dream or fantasy had ever brought to mind.  
  
Similarly, Ivan was certain he would be comfortable in the position for all eternity. With one hand in Maddie's, the other dancing through her hair, and her body snuggled against his own, nothing in all his history compared to the emotions of the moment. However, the combination of a sudden pang of hunger, a sudden glare of sun peaking out from behind a tree, and the introduction of a wet muzzle to his face was enough to get Ivan moving.  
  
"Houndramon?" Ivan asked, looking up at the owner of the muzzle. It was indeed Houndramon, with a most curious look on his face. Maddie looked up at Ivan's word, seeing the dog-digimon as well.  
  
"Oh, so you two are awake," Houndramon said. "We were starting to wonder about you two. Would you mind explaining why Maddie is sleeping on top of you, Ivan?" Houndramon's eyes glittered; he was no fool when it came to the emotions of his companion. However, his words had the desired effect, as it dawned on the new couple that the remaining six of the coterie was nearby. Quickly, the two broke apart, thoroughly embarrassed, and sat up.  
  
"It just kinda happened that way, buddy," Ivan said to Houndramon, who was suddenly facing a great fit of laughter that he strained to suppress. "I was so tired, as was Maddie. I guess we just weren't thinking is all, and that happened."  
  
"Not bad for an impromptu response," Houndramon commented. "But I'm afraid you may have to do a bit more to convince us of such." Then, bringing his mouth next to Ivan's ear, he whispered, "kissing her good morning, and then playing with her hair is a bit of a give-a-way, I'm afraid." Houndramon pulled back, returning to the rest of the group with a smug smile on his face, leaving Ivan in a deadly state of embarrassment.  
  
"Well, we ought to go get this over with," Maddie said after a moment, moving over next to Ivan. Ivan looked up, losing himself in his beloved's stunning brown eyes once again. He nodded in response then stood up, offering his hand to Maddie to help her up. She accepted, jumping up next to him.  
  
Maddie took a deep breath as she looked off at the others, who were sitting together in what seemed to be some light conversation as Houndramon returned to join the five. "Are you ready?" she asked Ivan, adjusting her hand to grasp his better.  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be," Ivan said after a moment. Quickly he added, "I would like to ask one thing first, though." Maddie gave him a quizzical look. "Well, I was just wondering if we'd be able to do that again sometime," Ivan instinctively braced himself for the worst.  
  
"Of course, silly," she responded. She squeezed his hand as she continued, "I wouldn't want it any other way. What do you say to reconvening tonight?" She smiled up at Ivan, a smile mirrored instantly. He pressed his palm against hers.  
  
"Sounds perfect," Ivan said. Then, turning to look at the others, he led Maddie over to them. The attention of the six turned to the dragoons as they came closer, eager to hear their explanation.  
  
TK and Kari sat on the ground, arms around one another, with Kari's head resting on TK's shoulder. Gatomon and Patamon lay at their respective partner's sides. Filmaramon and Houndramon sat a bit apart, talking with the Digidestend and their digimon. Ivan and Maddie stepped to a point behind their digimon, facing the four that they were escorting. Taking a deep breath, and giving a glance to Maddie, Ivan began his address.  
  
"Well guys, we're at the end of our road here," Ivan said. With his free hand, he gestured off in the opposite direction of the forest. "Only a few miles in that direction is Secondary Village. I know you're all tired and your legs are quite worn out, but this is the last real push of the journey. Moreover, I believe that after last night's confrontation, we'll have no opposition from our mechanical adversaries.  
  
"Another thing I'd like to address for you is this," Ivan raised his hand that held Maddie's before the group, showing the bond of the two. Another deep breath, and Ivan continued. "After the battle last night, Maddie and I talked for a while, and based on how we feel about one another, we've decided to give a relationship beyond friends a shot."  
  
Ivan braced for whatever was to come. However, all that came was a round of applause. Ivan glanced again at Maddie, and she nodded, smiling. Ivan then looked at their small group of friends, laughed, and took a bow; Maddie followed in suit. Kari whistled, causing TK to smirk. In a moment, the true humor of the moment carried through them all. Ivan and Maddie were by far the most relieved; their relationship had been taken better than they could have hoped for.  
  
"Alright, I suppose we ought to get some food in us, and take off for yonder hill, then," Ivan concluded. A chorus of nods gave the assent of the group. Ivan went to prepare breakfast, swiping the duffel bag and unpacking it to make their morning meal. Maddie sat down with Houndramon and Filmaramon, joining in the conversation. A fire crackled up behind them after a short time, a sign that Ivan's meal was well under way. "Hey, Houndramon!" Ivan called suddenly. Houndramon rose and padded over to Ivan.  
  
"What's up?" he asked, looking over Ivan's shoulder. "Do you need something?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm running low on water," Ivan responded, taking a pail from the bag. "Would you mind getting that filled?"  
  
"No problem," Houndramon replied before bounding off towards the river, the pail's handle clenched in his mouth.  
  
Ivan looked after him for a while before returning to his cooking. This breakfast was probably to be their last, and he did what he could to make it special. He had set aside a spare few food items for the last day, and for breakfast he brought out the choice remnants of their bread and a few Worgallium eggs. From experience, he had found them to be the best tasting of the eggs and, moreover, Maddie's favorite. They were not easy to find, so what could be recovered was saved and prized. However, such an occasion Ivan felt needed their special touch.  
  
Houndramon returned a minute later with the requested water. Ivan thanked him and told him the meal was nearly done. Houndramon went to tell the others and rejoined the talk. Ivan returned focus to his preparations, adding the water to the mixture he had invented as a side to Worgallium eggs. It took only another moment for the eggs to cook over his makeshift fire. Then, adding his finishing garnish to each of the dishes, Ivan hailed the group to breakfast.  
  
"Let's eat, people!" Ivan called. "We've still got ground to cover, and we need to cover it in one day. Otherwise, we may end up losing our timely edge. Jason won't take long to recover and if he can, he's gonna come after us and hit with all he's got. Once wasn't easy, but twice may be a bit beyond me."  
  
As he spoke, the group assembled around the fire, taking their respective dishes of food. Maddie took a seat next to Ivan, resting her leg against his. Ivan smiled at her, putting his arm around her as he laid his plate in his lap; he used his free hand to eat. TK took up his plate and led Kari to a spot across from the dragoons. He sat down with Kari, in much the same position as Ivan and Maddie. The digimon each shared with their human companions since they had more than enough.  
  
Maddie took a bite of the eggs, and realized what it was. "Oh, Ivan; my favorite," she whispered with a giggle. Ivan smiled back at her.  
  
"Anything to please you, darling," Ivan responded. Maddie laughed then put her plate in her lap and returned his half-embrace.  
  
"You're so cute," she said, tugging closer to him.  
  
They continued to eat, mostly in silence. After a moment, TK leaned down to Kari's ear and whispered, "A pretty cute couple, aren't they?" He gestured at the two across from them.  
  
Kari nodded. "Yeah, even if the heights are a bit unusual. Not that it's a problem; I know they're far too far in love to care about physical appearances. They've worked around it pretty well so far."  
  
"It's always important to have flexibility," TK agreed. Continuing, he said, "they are really in love; it's cool to see the two of them finally realize what they've got. I'm just glad we realized what we have, too," As he said this, TK pulled Kari a little closer to himself.  
  
"Me too," Kari said in return. "I don't think there's ever been a more meaningful week in my life. Being here with you, meeting new people, going on a crazy adventure, and us like this. It seems like a dream."  
  
"It's as real as it can be," TK said. "And there's nowhere else in the world that I'd rather be than here with you." TK was silent for a minute, as if thinking. He then started up again, in a much lighter tone, "Just so long as food's gonna be there, I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth and beyond."  
  
Kari laughed, giving him a gentle shove. "You and your food," she sighed, giggling. She then rested her head on his shoulder, bringing her arm back around TK. "But just so you know," she added, "I'll be just as glad to be with you that whole time, and then a forever or two after that."  
  
TK's grip tightened on Kari. He rested his head on hers, gently rocking her back and forth. He smiled inwardly. The setting was gorgeous in his eyes: the forest, lush and green, the sky, a warm, light blue sheet spanning above them, the trees, dotting the verdant fields with brown trunks and green foliage, and the sun, throwing down brilliant beams of light on all to see, as well as making a glowing yellow icon in the mass of blue. All of it came to TK and brought an amazing calm over his mind. Then he looked down at the girl next to him, the girl who loved him more than he could have ever imagined: Her short brown hair, framing her face in beauty and giving off an exquisite fragrance, her face, bright and alive with the life and love flowing through her, her body, beautiful and agile, surging with her inner strength, and her personality, making her very essence glow with a warming aura. Each of these aspects ran through TK's head, bringing a surge of emotion to his heart and destroying all desire of his life other than to stay with the girl next to him for all eternity; it was a desire stronger than that of even the Lotus Eaters' prized delicacy.  
  
"Hey, you two, I think we're getting ready to go." TK looked up, seeing Patamon flying next to his head. The digimon pointed over at Ivan and Maddie, who were now washing their dishes with the remaining water Houndramon had gathered. TK nodded to Patamon, then turned his attention back to Kari.  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked. "We're going home now; just a few more hours. And even though that means we have to go back to our respective houses, we'll still be there for each other every day." as he spoke, TK raised himself and Kari to their feet. When he finished, he made eye contact with Kari, holding it for a minute. Then, speaking softly as not to ruin the mood, he said, "I love you, Kari, and I can't wait to see what will come. It doesn't matter whether it's good or bad, but rather that we endure it, make the most of it, and never lose Hope."  
  
Kari smiled back at him. "I know," she said gently. "I love you too, TK, and I'm more than ready to face whatever comes our way. I don't ever want to lose Hope; he's just too important to me," TK realized that Kari meant him as Hope, giving him yet another warming surge of affection.  
  
"Hope isn't turning tail anytime soon, but I certainly don't want to lose Light, either," TK returned slyly. "She's beyond comparison, and I'd surely be lost without her." Kari looked at TK for a minute before nearly tackling him to the ground in a passionate embrace.  
  
"You won't lose her," Kari said softly, pressing her head against his neck. "Light won't ever leave you so long as she has the power to stay with you." TK's arms wrapped around Kari, now having recovered from the suddenness of her action. He then placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.  
  
Another few seconds passed, and the two loosened their grip. Nodding with silent affirmation, they went to help Ivan and Maddie clean up their dishes and get on their way home.

It took them only a few minutes more to break camp. Ivan extinguished the fire with the last bit of water and threw the bucket in the duffel bag. With all the instruments collected, Ivan zipped up the bag and slung it over his shoulder, such that it hung down on his left side. Then, in affirmation of all that he had gone through over the past evening with Maddie, he held out his right hand to her. She gladly accepted it, intertwining her fingers in his. Ivan then pointed out the direction they were going with his left hand, and called out to the group. "Alright, it's the last leg of the journey! Let's get it over and done with. No breaks, considering how late our breakfast went. I hope you guys made the most of our rest time; now it's crunch time. By nightfall, you two will be back in the Real World."  
  
TK and Kari, who were also holding hands, nodded in assent. The group then took off with a bounce in their steps and songs in their hearts; they knew the dangers and fear of the forest was being left in the past while the joys and love of each other was now enveloping them.  
  
"Quite a change from the normal pace, isn't it?" Ivan whispered to Maddie, his hand gently swinging back and forth with hers. His eyes scanned over the others for a moment before returning to his prime place of interest – the girl walking alongside him. Houndramon was still holding true to his task as a guide and scout for the others, running about at the front of the group, but was now much more relaxed in his duties. Filmaramon had taken up the appearance of a dog-digimon as well and was padding along with Houndramon at the lead. The two spoke, but no one else could hear them due to the distance. TK and Kari, now with their arms around the other's neck, walked along slowly a few feet to the side of Maddie, whispering to one another. Gatomon walked a few feet ahead of them, while Patamon flew a short distance above the feline digimon. They were relatively quiet, and acted more to enjoy the rejuvenating freedom of the rolling hills and bright sunlight.  
  
"It's a good change," Maddie said in return, looking up at her beloved. "None of that tension or danger or fear; I can finally sleep without nightmares." She gave Ivan's hand a squeeze as she continued, "I'll never have those horrid visions again, thanks to you, Ivan. Thank you."  
  
Ivan could feel his heart ache after Maddie's little speech. It wasn't all too special, but anything from the angel beside him made Ivan's heart burst with emotion. He squeezed her hand in return. "You're welcome," he said softly, "I'll always be here for you to make sure that those dreams don't come back again."  
  
Maddie's heart, too, underwent great pain, making her whole body feel tingly and alive. She rested her head on Ivan's shoulder, gripping his hand in both of hers and pulling it to her chest. "Thank you so much, Ivan," she whispered.  
  
"You're very welcome, Maddie," he whispered back, refraining from laughing at the repetition. He then brought his other hand to hers, switched them, and then slipped his other hand around Maddie's shoulders, holding her close. "I love you, Maddie," Ivan continued, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.  
  
Maddie looked up at Ivan then kissed his cheek in return. "I love you too, Ivan," she said. Relaxing some of her weight onto Ivan, she closed her eyes and let her legs and Ivan's loving arms guide her along. At that moment, Maddie's only wish was to let the moment last forever, as close to Ivan as she wanted.  
  
Ivan smiled as Maddie did this, thoroughly enjoying the warmth emanating from his beloved. After watching the girl for a minute more, he returned his gaze to the path that lay ahead of them, lest his desire to continue the loving conversation and cause the group to slow to a stop would become too much. However, he kept in mind that in just a few hours, he would have TK and Kari safely home. This would leave Maddie and he alone, should they ask for their digimon to oblige. The anticipation gave Ivan another surge, nearly taking out his legs from under him.  
  
The remainder of the walk took a good couple of hours. With the mood of the group, love and desire seemed to outweigh the joy and excitement of home. In fact, the thought of home was not entirely positive. As TK walked with Kari next to him, he began to think about how everyone at home would react to their situation; his family, Kari's family, their friends, Davis. Each one seemed to have different feelings and some were certainly not to have positive responses, although TK's new combat skills gave him the feeling that he would not experience much in the way of physical problems. It was his general disgust at violence that hated to get into a fight over his relationship, be it with Davis or anyone else. It was, however, a sacrifice he would make for the sake of Kari; any fight was worth it if it kept Kari safe by his side.  
  
Kari's thoughts ran along similar lines. She too felt that certain people, especially Davis, were likely to have relatively negative feelings about the newfound love of TK and herself. It even seemed likely that Davis would start some sort of fight over it, and TK would not want to get involved, but would for her. The feeling gave her confidence that TK would stand by her throughout what was to come for them, be it good or bad, due to his insurmountable love and affection for her. She smiled to herself, adjusting her position as she walked. She also sped up their pace a bit; the thoughts seemed to lag them down.  
  
The thoughts of the digimon did not condone an entirely positive feeling, either. Gatomon and Patamon trudged along, realizing the reality that they would again have to leave their human companions. After the week of constant closeness, they had grown accustomed and never realized what the defeat, however temporary, of their enemy might mean until now. As when Apocalyomon was defeated and evil put to rest, their human partners were disconnected from the Digital World for several years. To go through that experience again was not something they were looking forward to.  
  
Houndramon and Filmaramon were facing their own unique problems as they walked, still keeping a vigil for any threat to the group. As they worked, the strange feeling of their friends being together kept coming to them, filling them with a mixture of feelings. As they walked, they talked about all that weighed upon them. They noticed that they were probably overreacting to it; Houndramon knew that his fidelity to his mate wouldn't falter. However, they had never been fully exposed to the ways of human nature before, beyond that of one alone, unlike Gatomon and Patamon who were somewhat more used to what humans referred to as romance. But just as Gatomon and Patamon could not quite decipher the meaning of the two pressing their lips together, Houndramon and Filmaramon were unable to understand why Ivan and Maddie did the ritual so often as they strode along together. Ultimately, they gave to letting it slide and focusing on getting their job done, thus earning them a much-desired respite.  
  
At last, Houndramon came over the peak of a hill and barked. He continued to bark, running back and forth along the crest of the hill. Maddie's eyes fluttered open, looking up at the dog digimon. Everyone else looked at Houndramon with equal interest and confusion, save Filmaramon, who joined Houndramon in his actions. Then, the two dashed down the far side of the hill and out of sight. Ivan looked down at Maddie, as TK did to Kari and Patamon to Gatomon. With a nearly simultaneous understanding, the six of them ran at full speed up the side of the mountain. Ivan and Maddie reached the top first, followed shortly by TK, Kari and their digimon. Below them, in the orange light of the afternoon sun, lay the small houses and huts of Secondary Village.  
  
"We've made it," Ivan said, gesturing to the small collection of huts. "This is Secondary Village. We evacuated it a couple months ago, as the oncoming mechanical minions came close, and they are still waiting for our assurance that they can return safely. However, the villagers are not what we came for. We've come for that." As he said his last words, Ivan pointed at a small black object sitting near the collection of housing. "That," he continued, "is the fully functional TV that we came for to get you two back to the Real World." Again he paused, before repeating, "We've made it!" only this time with much greater emphasis and joy. The others rejoiced along with Ivan, as the finale of the great adventure came to a close.  
  
Dancing, rolling, and expressing the relief of completion in any other way possible, the company slowly made their way down the hill into Secondary Village. Houndramon and Filmaramon had already searched through the small town, ensuring that no danger awaited them. Ivan's bag was tossed near the center of the village where the outline of a fire pit still remained, while Ivan joined the others, free of burden. For quite some time, the digimon and their human counterparts danced around in the fields encircling the village, solace washing over them like a warm ocean wave.  
  
Ivan left the others to enjoy the moment for a while longer as he went to prepare their evening meal. Using firewood that was stored in a few of the houses, he built a fire up efficiently and left a note to repay what he used on the most elaborate house, appearing to be that of the leader. Then, preparing his final meal with the remaining ingredients of his pack, Ivan made his ramous Requallo soup, along with pan-fried Numanri, another tofu-resembling food, and a selection of vegetables. Ivan even produced a desert for the night: Lucryte Pudding, which held a taste similar to chocolate and had the appearance of a rainbow.  
  
As he worked, Maddie came and knelt with Ivan at the stove. She put her arms around him as she did so. Ivan looked over to her and gave her a warm hug in return. Maddie then sat back and watched Ivan work, a small smile on her lips. Ivan noticed it after a moment, but ignored it. He continued to prepare their meal until he realized that ignoring Maddie did not seem to alter her staring at him. He looked over at her and asked, "What's up, Maddie?"  
  
"Oh, nothing," she said shyly, averting her gaze at last. "I was just admiring you is all. Not that many people can work so diligently after going through so much. It's just another thing that I love about you."  
  
"Maddie," Ivan said, a hint of laughter in his voice. He put his hand gently on Maddie's shoulder, prompting her to look up at him. "Maddie," he continued, "I'm doing my best to keep working here, but it's really hard with you watching me like that. It's nothing bad, but it's really hard to concentrate on this when part of me wants to focus all of its attention on you." Maddie smirked then gave Ivan a quick kiss.  
  
"Alright, I'm sorry," she replied. "I'll leave you to your work. But I really want to spend some time with that other part of you afterwards, Ivan," she laughed as she said this, noticing the double meaning. However, she knew all too well in her heart that, no matter how seductive she acted, she wasn't ready for any serious commitment; she knew equally well how Ivan felt about their relationship.  
  
"Me too," Ivan said, mirroring Maddie's laughter. Maddie rose to left, but Ivan stopped her for one moment longer. "Would you let the others know we're just about ready to eat?" he asked her. "It'll only be a few minutes now, and it's best to eat this stuff when it's hot." Maddie nodded. "Thanks, Maddie," Ivan said, and then rose and gave Maddie a kiss of his own before letting her go and returning to his work over the cooking fire.  
  
As expected, only another few moments passed before the meal was fully prepared. The full coterie arrived and sat down around the weakening fire, each taking up their plate for the last meal of the journey. Still light-hearted and happy, everyone talked and laughed about all the lighter moments along the trip. All the double meanings that they discovered about their Truth or Dare game came out. All the other little ploys each person had tried, such as Ivan's attempt to leave Kari and TK alone in the cave before departing, was brought up as well, much to the amusement and embarrassment of the couple. Even though they chatted constantly, the food still managed to be consumed quite quickly due to the absence of any lunchtime meal. Ivan then brought out his dessert, handing out the servings to each of his companions.  
  
As the pudding dessert was finished, the last rays of the sun fell behind the hill they had mounted a not too long ago. Only the weak reds cascaded along the sky and the dying embers of the fire served as light for the process of cleaning the dishes. Houndramon again obliged to fetch water, while the others prepared to clean up and get on their way. Standing, Ivan brought the conversation around to a more serious tone.  
  
"Well, this does seem to be the end of the line now, guys," he said to the group. "In a few minutes, you two-" he pointed at TK and Kari- "will be on your way back home. This seems to be the way where our paths diverge." TK and Kari stood to face Ivan, as Maddie stood up beside the brown-haired boy.  
  
"Maybe," TK said, a bit hesitantly. "I-It may be, but I've been thinking a lot since we left this morning and I came up with an idea. I asked Kari about it, and she said she'd be glad to help if she could. I'm more than willing to help, too, after all you've done for us."  
  
"Help us do what?" Ivan asked, confused.  
  
"We-We were wondering if you'd consider coming back to the Real World with us," TK said, unsure of what to expect.  
  
Ivan and Maddie exchanged a shocked glance and then fell into thought. "I realize it's really last minute, but I couldn't really bring myself to ask it earlier," TK continued.  
  
"It's certainly not something I've considered in. a long time." Ivan replied after a moment. "I'm not sure what Azulongmon or Kilvaramon would think of our skipping out on them, but then we'd still be able to come back after spending a short time with you guys. It may also be nice to go back and see people again; it's been quite some time since we've had people to talk to." Again he looked at Maddie, seeking some kind of assurance. "What do you think?" he asked her.  
  
"I have no idea," Maddie said honestly. She then placed her hand on Ivan's heart as she continued, "But I'm more than willing to go with you wherever you like. Here, the Real World, or somewhere else, I'll be right by your side. As long as I'm with you, I don't think anything can stop us. Just follow your heart, darling; I'm sure you'll make the right decision for us." She stood on her toes, kissed his cheek, then rested her head on his shoulder and intertwined her fingers in his. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze of assurance.  
  
Ivan stood in thought for a moment, while Maddie stood by him comfortingly and TK and Kari stood, nervous of what answer they might receive. They certainly wanted to spend more time with the two kids after bonding with them so much over the course of the trip, but didn't want to pressure them into anything they didn't want to do. Then, after a long silence, Ivan spoke.  
  
"I've considered all aspects of your offer as well as I can in our given state," Ivan said. "There are many variables, such as housing arrangements, supplies, transportation, and what to do with our digital friends, should they come along. This would normally make me very unsure of any quick decision without more information. However, I believe that this case is different. Since we will appear with you two in Japan we'll have some sort of guide. Your families, if possible, might be able to provide housing, or otherwise we will find a place. I know at least one fallback location we can go to. Transportation is no problem, seeing as we can walk or run any short distance, or fly any long distance. Our companions can blend in if they wish to come; Houndramon can feign being a dog, while Filmaramon can feign being a cat or another pet."  
  
"What about food?" Maddie asked.  
  
"Well, that's probably the easiest challenge," Ivan replied. "Thanks to the work of my grandparents, and the partial inheritance from my parents' passing, I have more than enough funding to get me through my entire college career, which has only increased in its three years of invested dormancy.  
  
"Such is the handling of our challenges, at least until more permanent arrangements can be made. As for benefits, interaction with more people is something we've been lacking, and is very important for social creatures like you, Maddie," Ivan turned to her for a moment, softening his voice as he spoke. He then returned to his address, "In addition, returning to school would be a good move for both of us. Although we're not fluent in Japanese, translation is far easier these days, and we have had some experience with the language after working indirectly with you and the other ten Digidestined for so long. And, of course, we've got to meet everyone else now that we've met you two.  
  
"Therefore, I have reached the decision to accept your invitation. I know it seems like I've overanalyzed it, but you never know. Leaving your home and traveling not only to another country, but also to another world is quite a jump. I don't expect our time to be easy, either. It's simply a challenge I think we need, and it offers many rewards that are lacking in this realm." Ivan shook his head gently, seeing the looks on the TK and Kari's faces. He gave Maddie's hand a gentle squeeze, making her look up. Ivan's eyes met hers, as if asking for help and confirmation of his idea. Maddie nodded, understanding.  
  
"We're gonna go with you," Maddie said to simplify Ivan's speech. Understanding suddenly dawned on TK and Kari.

Maddie giggled as Ivan whispered a silent "thanks," in her ear.  
  
"Alright then," TK said, greatly relieved to have his question asked and answered. "Let's get this place cleaned up and get moving, then. We want to be home soon, before it gets to be too late." Maddie and Ivan nodded in consent; Houndramon appeared as if on queue.  
  
"The silly current nearly stole my bucket away twice!" he growled after he handed off the bucket to Ivan. Maddie went over and comforted the frustrated digimon as Ivan did his best not to laugh and get the dishes cleaned up. Maddie also broke the news of the decision to Houndramon. Houndramon was surprised that it was TK's idea and not theirs, but was happy for them. He also offered to let Azulongmon and Kilvaramon know about it so they would be able to take their vacation without worry of being chastised later. When the duffel bag was packed, the fire extinguished, and everyone ready to go, Ivan handed the bag to the dog digimon. Each of the humans walked over to the television, forming a line once they had done so. The respective digital companion of each then met with their human counterpart to say goodbye.  
  
"Okay, buddy," Ivan said to Houndramon, squatting next to him, "we're gonna be gone for a while. I'm not sure about the condition of the time relationship between here and the Real World presently, but we'll be back again pretty soon. Jason wasn't put down fully, so he'll be back eventually and we'll need to be here to oppose him. We may even try warping in and out with the Digidestined for a while, depending on what happens in the Real World. We'll never forget the ties we have to this world, though; we'll be back here and ready to bust some more robotic heads before you know it." Houndramon barked, smiling. Ivan placed his hand lightly on Houndramon's head, scratching him behind the ears. "Be good, and do what you can to be helpful to Azulongmon." Houndramon nodded. "Thanks, Houndramon, I owe you one." Houndramon's eyes narrowed in mock anger. "OK, you're right, I owe you about five hundred for this." Houndramon relaxed again. "Now, I think we'd best get on our way." Giving Houndramon a hug, Ivan finished his goodbyes to his companion. He then stood and saluted the dog digimon, which Houndramon did his best to mimic. Ivan smiled and nodded, lowering his hand. Houndramon, too, lowered his paw and stood back from the other four humans.  
  
Each of the other three pairs went through a similar closing. Maddie felt tears coming to her eyes, but found Ivan's comforting arm around her, ensuring that she was not going to be alone. TK and Kari had gone through this before, so the parting was therefore less severe for them. However, they knew that the constant visit was not likely to come for a while with Jason put out of commission. They did their best to restrain from sadness, instead keeping a fairly happy tone thanks to the prospect of seeing their families again.  
  
With Ivan's arm gently pulling Maddie back to her feet from Filmaramon, who was still in the form of a dog digimon, her fortifications broke and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's time to go," he whispered in her ear, to which she nodded. Ivan then motioned to TK, who drew out his relatively unused D3 and aimed it at the TV.  
  
"Digi-Port, Open!" He called out, summoning the portal between the Real World and the Digital World. He then called Kari over and sent her through the gate. He watched Ivan and Maddie for a moment, and then said, "The portal will only last for a few seconds once I go through; are you ready?"  
  
Ivan looked into Maddie's eyes, still the brilliant brown they always were in the dying red streaks across the evening sky. He gently wiped the tears from Maddie's cheeks as he said, "Let's go, Maddie. I don't know what lies on the other side of the gate, but I know that together, we can go through whatever life throws at us. I also know that after we get through it by the strength of our love, we'll be able find something we've never known before." He kissed Maddie softly, lovingly. As he pulled away after a minute, he said once again, "Let's go." Maddie nodded in response, sniffing away her tears, then took Ivan's hand firmly in hers.  
  
"We're ready, TK," Ivan said. "Go on through, we'll be right behind you." TK took another second of hesitation before nodding.  
  
"Alright, Ivan," TK replied. "I'll see you over there." Ivan nodded in response, and TK jumped right through the Gate. In the few seconds Ivan had, he looked at Maddie as he jumped through the gate and said "See you on the other side, Madelyn!" In a moment, the light of the television dissipated. The last strains of light from the sun faded away behind the starry, velvet cloak of night.


End file.
